Man's True Best Friend
by BearMaster
Summary: Unit Upsilon of the IRC, lead by Lincoln Henderson and his Cerberi partner General, begin their journey into the dark abyss of space. While there, they learn that the Insurrection is much more than just an uprising. Rated M for language, etc - Comment plz
1. Chapter 1: Called Upon

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 1

Called Upon

Date: 2522 December 10

Location: Reach, ONI Sword Base

"Begin operation on Cerberus Subject 23-BMD."

"Dr. Halsey, shall I inject the Cytopothemine and Dexotryophimite?"

"Yes, inject it in C7 and TH12."

A dark lit room, a slow ping of a heart beat monitor, this was where Catherine Halsey felt her most useful. A slow breath came from the patient under the operating blanket and it made a cool and ethereal cloud that floated up into one of the operator's facemasks.

"Beginning injection."

A large bulky machine with a syringe came to the patients shaved back, where it crept its way into the skin and penetrated the soft squishy tissue of nerves and mucus. The patient jumped at the feeling but took it with vigor. A shrill beep came reverberating off the machine as it pushed the plunger, and the fulsome blue fluid was slowly let loose in the patient's body.

Soon after the injection began, it stopped and the machine removed its needle. Halsey stood over the patient and rubbed where the head would be as a whimper came from under the blanket.

"That's a good boy. It will all be over soon."

She said with a motherly and comforting tone as the heart beat monitor slowly began to fade into a subtle constant tone.

Date: 2523 February 20

Location: Reach, Spartan/Cerberus Training Grounds

The summer sun was strong on Reach. The light gleamed down onto an enormous empty battle ground, blackened and beaten by years of bombing and weapons training. The UNSC spared none of this land, if it was open and not being made into something, they took it. In the center of that barren wasteland was a sizable training bunker that didn't look like it was there from the times before.

An APC came rumbling down the abandoned road that was neglected for years; followed by two heavy transport Falcons and two anti-aircraft Warthogs. As they made their way to the bunker, thunderous blasts could be heard from miles away from the adjacent ONI Weapons Testing Facility.

The APC and Warthogs slowed to a halt and the Falcons prepared for landing. From the shadows of the training bunker, Dr. Halsey and Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez came walking out, looking bent out of shape. Dr. Halsey took the lead over Mendez and made a b line to the drive of the ACP.

"Shit. Here she comes…"

Said the marine driver of the APC to his side gunner as he rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah… She looks a little irked."

The much younger marine said as he scratched the back of his head.

"What's up guys? Is something… Shit. Is that Halsey?"

Said another marine from the holding area of the ACP. The driver and gunner sighed.

"Yep, and Mendez. Prepare yourself to get a new a-hole fellas."

The younger marine cringed.

"Oh dear god."

Dr. Halsey's white lab coat fluttered in the wind as the Falcons landed and she slammed on the APC driver's window with rage. The APC driver pretended to not hear her, but she just hit the door harder. He then opened the door and stepped out and Halsey immediately got in his face.

"What the hell marine! You were supposed to be here three hours ago! Now we have to cut training short today!"

"I'm sorry ma'am. There was an insurrectionist roadblock that we had to pass. They clogged the entire south side of New Alexandria. There was nothing we could do."

The marine said as he pointed to the maimed marine getting gout of the first Warthog and the countless bullet marks on the APC's armor. Halsey growled with anger and gritted her teeth.

"This is… I can't even describe how this makes me feel."

Halsey said as she clenched her fists into small white balls.

"So-o-o you're not mad at us for being late?"

Said the marine as he unlocked the holding room of the APC.

"Not as much as before. But I can tell you this; this new project will greatly decrease the Insurrectionists abilities. They may even top the Spartans."

The marine looked back at Halsey in confusion.

"But ma'am, they're just dogs."

Date: 2522 December 11

Location: Tyumen, New Harmony

"Aaragh, dammit, that really hurt… Aargh…"

An ODST sat holding his side in the corner of an abandoned shopping complex as a hail of gunfire was falling just to the left of his position. Four other ODST's were battling off a platoon of insurrectionists that were equipped with an array of weapons. It also didn't help that they were all equipped with chest-strapped explosives as well.

"To your right Jenkins!"

Said the marine, as crimson blood came slowly oozing from his side.

"Thanks Collins!"

A land-breaking explosion caused the other ODST's to topple over. Smoke and dismembered Insurrectionist fell around the ODST's and they realized in a haze what had just happened. The Captain came to his knee and aimed his submachine gun and looked to see if any more Insurrectionists' were coming. From what it looked like, they were retreating.

One ODST, named Jenkins, stood in a dynamic pose.

"Oh my god! That was perfect! Did anyone else see that sweet shot I got! Right in the bomb! Woohoo! That's like ten points right there."

"For hell's sake man! You shouldn't be happy about that!"

Said the ODST adjacent from him.

"Shut up Jack, you're just butt hurt 'cause you didn't kill him first."

Jack sat inspecting himself for wounds and couldn't care less bout what Jenkins said. The Captain just finished inspecting Collins' wound and slapped him on the back of the head.

"You'll need some med attention, but not much. Just a few stiches, so stop being a pansy."

Jack suddenly stopped searching himself and looked at the Captain realizing a sudden truth.

"Sir! Where's Lincoln?"

Everyone stopped when they realized that their new recruit was MIA. This had never happened before to the squad, they always kept their group tight and secure. But Lincoln was a new, fresh off the farms of Harvest.

"OH SHIT MAN! He was my responsibility to watch over! Dammit! I'm so screwed!"

Jenkins panic was not unusual. Whenever something bad happened, he was the first to say the sky was falling. He wasn't the best of men, either. Short, gangly body that was not ODST quality, he wasn't a natural for the job. It was like he liked to kill.

"My god, do you think they captured him?"

Said Collins with an expression of sheer terror.

"I don't think so. The Innies don't take prisoners."

The Captain tapped his inner communications device within his helmet.

"Lincoln, can you here me? Lincoln!"

"Sir?"

No response was heard. The Captain looked at Jack and Jenkins and shook his head in regret. Even with the ODST helmets on they can understand each other's emotions. But silence was the worst response they could imagine. Until, from under the Vail of radio silence, a voice, muffled and timid.

"Sir. I'm southeast of your position."

"Thank god! Are you alright, Lincoln? Did you get shot?"

Another bout of silence ensued.

"Dammit man, answer me!"

The Captain had a very assertive voice, not so rare amongst the ODST, but his was different. Even when mad, he seemed to show more than just anger. He showed compassion for his people that he looked over.

"No sir."

"Everyone, double time to Lincolns position!"

Instantly, the entire group, except Collins, was moving to Lincoln. Everyone was worried about Lincoln, he sounded horrified. The Captain feared the worst, usually people don't sound like that unless they killed an innocent. So he couldn't help but think in that direction.

The squad rounded the corner of the shopping complex to reveal Lincoln, kneeling down in front of a bloodied body, his head down sulking into his shoulders. Helmet concealing his face. The room was dark and musty with the smell of drying blood and Lincoln's knees were slowly becoming soggy in the puddle of crimson liquid. The Captain was shocked at the sight. A hole was located in the deceased innocent's abdomen and you could see the floor. The red cross on Lincoln's forehead was slowly becoming less and less visible as the light scurried out of the room.

"Corporal, what happened here?"

Lincoln took his helmet off and placed his hand over his eyes and pressed into them with a force that worried the Captain. But everyone knew what he was doing. He was holding in tears. With a tremendous bellow, he managed to explain what happened.

"I heard someone… Someone upstairs. It was a women and I could tell by her voice she needed medical help. So I followed the voice, she called for help over and over again. I found her but I was too late."

He took a deep breath to prepare himself for the conclusion of his story.

"An Innie grenade blew a hole right through her stomach; she bled out before I could even get to her."

Lincoln wiped his eyes and covered her wound with a piece of cloth that was nearby. She was truly a beautiful girl, not a day over eighteen. Her eyes reflected the same emotion she felt at her death. Pain and fear filled the smooth lines in her face as she slipped into eternity.

Jenkins crept over Lincolns shoulder and caught a glimpse of her face as he placed the cloth completely over her. As the last touch, Lincoln placed his hand on her forehead and with a gentle sweep, closed her forever-fearful hazel eyes.

"Damn man! She was hot!"

"Jenkins! Have some respect."

The Captain snapped back as Jenkins remark hit Lincoln's ears in bad taste. On the floor lay a brown purse that was the girl's and Jack knelt down to pick it up. After some mild rummaging, Jack found her ID.

"Aftin Marsh. Age, eighteen."

Jack sighed as he continued to read the dreadful end of her ID.

"Jerome King High School senior, class of 2523. She wasn't even a high school grad yet."

Lincoln stood stoic and inanimate over the body. A tear rolled down his face as he began to walk out to the bright sun that was at the highest point of the day. As he made his way, the Captain grabbed his arm and pulled him close.

"It's okay son. If it was her time, god took her. But all I know is that it's defiantly not Collins' time yet. So if you'd please provide him with some of your top grade medical technics, he would greatly appreciate it."

Lincoln nodded and began to walk over to Collins, who was a longer ways away then he remembered. As he made his way over, the image of Aftin Marsh settled into the deep folds of Lincoln's mind, her hair, her eyes. He never liked to fight. But now he had a vendetta to peruse. Avenge her death was the only words playing in his mind. Avenge Her Death.

Two Weeks Later

Location: Reach, New Alexandria

(Shore Leave)

"Its great to come here and relax, donchya think, Link?"

Asked Jenkins as the group made their way down New Alexandrian Main Street. Lincoln stayed quiet, still pondering over the death of the girl. Collins fondled the bandage that wrapped around his side and looped around his shoulder. Doing so flashed the pedestrian women the body of an ODST, and one that was battle tattered. He became very popular very fast to say the least.

Jenkins didn't like being ignored and cracked at Lincoln.

"God man, you still upset? Shit happens! You'll need to get over it."

Lincoln chose not to ignore this time and glanced heavily at Jenkins. The face Lincoln made was cold and emotionless, but there was something behind it. Rage and anger was lurking behind his face and Jenkins knew it. It seemed to make his emotionless face much more threatening.

It was a warm day on Reach, not many days are like these. The sun is out; people converge on the busy Main Street for festivities and excitement of city life. Venders on the street selling many different items ranging from food to trinkets that made the very gullible ODST's credits evaporate. Jack bought a Hemp sack to hold all of his goods for a reasonable three hundred credits. The color choice was an odd one, though. The sack was a very fashionable vomit green and the cords that tightened to close the opening were a florescent pink color. The others, mostly Jenkins, couldn't understand his rationing of buying such a monstrosity.

"Jesus man, you'll give Hell Jumpers a bad name if you bring that thing into the barracks!"

"Shut up man, this is a present for my girl."

Jack said as he glanced at Jenkins while adjusting the cords over his shoulder.

"Of course it is. She might as well leave you now for your neighbor."

"You're an asshole, you know that Jenkins? No one likes you."

Jenkins stood in his narcissistic glory.

"Oh? Why do you say that? I'm the biggest man in this squad!"

"That's not what you're girlfriend said last night."

Lincoln said as he rehashed an old favorite insult from the bank of many insults he planned on using against Jenkins; which were mostly insults referring to his manhood. The two-week silence was broken, finally. This was a moment the group rejoiced over, except for Jenkins of course. The Captain patted Lincoln on the shoulder and smiled at him with his paternal manner.

"I'm glad you decided to talk again, buddy."

"Yeah. You started to scare us for a minute."

Said Jack as he sighed in relief.

"Lets get some drinks. I wanna get drunk."

Lincoln said with a chuckle in his voice. No one disagreed.

Much Later that Night

The still and under lit barracks lay quietly in the night. A loud clang of the barracks door stopped that as the guy's came home from a night of booze and deplorable deeds. The light's buzzed on and the inebriated soldiers managed to work their way through the door. Jenkins stumbled to his bunk where he fell face first to his pillow, legs dangling over the side and pants around his knees in an attempt to get comfortable. Lincoln carried Collins to his bunk and before he hit the soft cushion, he was asleep. Jack, who lost the vomit colored bag at the bar they were at, worked his way to the back of the barracks where the bathrooms were and wound up sleeping on the throne. The Captain stood in the threshold of barracks scratching his engorged belly, and started to walk over to his bunk, which was next to Collins'.

"Oh, Link, it look's like 'ew have a mezzage waitin for you."

The Captain could barely stand and he fell backwards to his bunk as if a ghost punched him into it. Lincoln chuckled at the sight the fail and walked over to the computer terminal, which had a small red light that kept blinking like a turning signal of a car. After refreshing the computer, a message was waiting in a file called, for Corporal Lincoln Henderson Eyes-only. The screen was bright and his eyes took some time to adjust. Lincoln tapped the message and a paused video of a young woman popped up. The woman sat in front of what it looked like to be a large desk with nothing on it. Lincoln looked at the woman with a haze. Her hair was long and a brilliant blond that made it harder to look at the screen. She also wore a pair of glasses that complimented her supposed intelligence.

"Hmm. You look smart."

Lincoln mumbled to himself, which he seemed to be mocking her. He pressed play and sat back to watch the video. With a little bit of static, the woman began to speak.

"Hello, Corporal. My name is Dr. Catherine Halsey. You may know me from the Spartan Project but that is not the reason I have summoned you. The reason I'm sending you this message is to tell you this; you are being called upon to serve the UNSC, Earth, and her colonies in a much larger way. Would you like to know more?"

End

A/N: Holly crap people. This is awesome! I have always wanted to make a Halo FF but I never had the time to. But now I bring you this. My very first FF. But this is just chapter one. This is going to be a continuous story and I'm planning on making a new chapter every week. It will be hard, but if I get some good feed back from this then I shall be thrilled to make more! So, if you'd please, write what you think in the comments and if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them.

Chapter 2 will be out on next Sunday. THANKS! :D


	2. Chapter 2: The Past and the Future

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, ETC.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 2

The Past and the Future

Date: 2522 December 26

Location: Reach, ODST Barracks 3

"Why did I drink so much?"

Lincoln rolled out of bed and on to the floor. Head pounding, eye's swollen, barely moving. He lay on the floor for another few minutes, trying to fall back asleep, but it was no good. Trying to ignore the sickening feeling of hangover was impossible. After firmly placing his hand on the floor, he balanced himself and sat up against the front of his bunk. Link rubbed his eyes with the balls of his wrists and sprawled his legs out in a large dog like stretch. With a glance he caught the time. 8:13 AM.

"Hey. Hey, Jack. Make the room stop spinning."

He heard no response and was not surprised. Drinking was easy for the others. They had many years of partying under their belts that the night they had didn't faze them one bit. They were probably out again chasing ladies and living it up. After getting off the floor, Link began to get dressed. He recalled that Dr. Halsey sent him a message the night before, but he couldn't recall what she had said. With a crack of his neck and back, Link shifted his feet over to the computer terminal and sat in the cold chair as he finished getting his shirt on. The screen crackled and the video of Halsey appeared again, but at the end of the video. With a swipe of his forefinger he rewound the video to where he left off.

"…UNSC, Earth, and her colonies in a much bigger way. Would you like to know more? Come to the ONI Building in New Alexandria tomorrow at 10 AM. I have an offer for you that you might be interested in. And sorry for the short notice. The Insurrectionists wait for no one."

The video slowly faded away and the computer turned off. Link sat in his chair and though what Halsey would offer him. Could it be that she wanted to do experiments on him? Or could she want to make him into a Spartan? He often thought of the Spartans as being the best soldiers ever and he fantasized about being one. But he knew he would never be a Spartan, he was too old. And why think that way, maybe she just wanted to give him some new tech. She had done that in the past too. Like a proverbial Santa Clause, she gave the ODST many trinkets to play with; including modified weapons, strategic plans, and what not. So why not see what she had to say, it couldn't hurt.

One Hour Later

Location: ONI Main Building, New Alexandria

The ONI building was huge, but not the biggest building in the city. The presence it gave off, though, was intimidating. Very thin and the shine of pure chrome, it looked as if the sword of god was sticking out of the ground and was trying to work its way back to heaven. Link was not impressed. He's seen bigger buildings and the ONI building was just another steel and glass pillar. But, without his knowledge, it was the start of his true future, and the future of mankind.

Link sat in a large oval waiting room with about twenty other marines. All dressed for battle and were mostly standing and sharing overblown war stories of battling the Insurrectionists. Most of them were regular marines and all of them below Lieutenant rank. But one other thing caught his eye, other than their low rank and attitude, it was their appearance. All of them were his height, five foot eight or around there and they were all his age. Eighteen.

A younger woman sat three chairs to his left and she looked slightly uncomfortable; constantly shifting in her seat and pulling her hair behind her ears. Link was set off by her appearance. She didn't look like a soldier, but not many of them did. After about five minutes of waiting Link reached over and extended his hand.

"Hi, I'm Lincoln."

The girl looked puzzled for a moment while looking at his hand. But soon reached for his hand and grasped it.

"I'm Germaine."

She said her name quickly and went back to her regular position. It was awkward for the next few minutes and the time couldn't go by fast enough. Neither of them chose to make an attempt at conversation and Link was not helping by constantly looking at her. But he couldn't help it. She had beautiful eyes that sucked in his attention like a black hole does with stars, a light green haze around the edges and blue towards the center. After realizing how abundantly creepy he had been just then, Link decided to start talking to her.

"So, what branch are you in?"

"Marine Intelligence, you?"

"Marines, ODST to be precise."

"Really? My brother is in the Hell Jumpers."

"Really now? What his name? I'm might know him."

Lincoln chuckled because it would be a long shot if he actually knew her brother. Without preparation he listened to her response.

"His name is Jenkins. Jenkins Wallee."

Lincoln felt a shock fly through his heart. The most degenerative, lowbrow and disgraceful man in the entire core was her brother. How could this be? They were such different people in every way, it didn't make sense. Link couldn't help but cough as he swallowed his saliva thinking about it, then tried to play it off as a chuckle.

"Yeah… He's in my unit."

Germaine gasped in excitement.

"Really? How is he? Is he holding up ok?"

"Yeah, he's as good as anyone can be."

"Phew. That's a relief."

"Why? Were you worried?"

Germaine looked down at her hands. She closed both her hands into a large ball and had them in her lap, slowly her knuckles turned white.

"Yeah. My father died when I was young and he raised me."

Lincoln heart sank.

"I'm so sorry. How'd it happen?"

Germaine sat back in her chair and took a big breath in.

"Well, I lived on Kholo with my family in a small community outlying the capitol. Frenalla. It was nice. It was far away to the point where the bustle of the city was not noticeable, but close enough that you could take a car there for the day."

She looked as if she was drifting into space.

"Then the Innies came in. Made a mess of things. Somehow when our people fought back with the UNSC at the beginning, my mother was separated from us. We haven't heard a word from her since. The Innies destroyed our town, and we had to rebuild."

Lincoln was enticed by her story, looking at her with wide eyes like a child watching a movie.

"Even when we were done rebuilding, there was still chaos. The UNSC left soon after we rebuilt leaving us open to the Innies. They came in every month demanding payment for _protection._ We had to pay or else they would decimate the town again. We gave in every month to their demands. 500,000 credits and one cow was almost impossible for us but we did it for as long as we could. Eventually my people got fed-up with paying them. My father, who happened to be a retired ODST, started training the men of our town how to fight. When the end of the month came, our men fought back. It was a slaughter though. Those 500,000 credits a month went to strengthening their men with weapons and armor. My people didn't stand a chance, even with my fathers training. The battle didn't take long, only about an hour."

"Whoa, that's intense."

"Yeah. I was only six back then. I was in our makeshift house that was made of scrap metal when it was all going down. An Innie kicked down the door and started taking things off the tables, looting. I hid in the back room while he turned our house upside-down. But he heard me somehow and came into the back room. He tried to kill me. His hand was around my neck and he held a pistol to my head. I can still remember what he said. _Take one last look around here sweetie, it's all over. _But before he could pull the trigger my dad came in and tackled him. I managed to crawl away while they scuffled on the floor for what seemed like an hour. The Innie got the slip and shot my dad in the chest four times. As he lay on the floor, the Innie stood and cocked his gun. He was going to execute my dad. Jenkins came in right before he shot my dad and stabbed him to death with his own battle knife that my dad gave him as a present. It was horrible. I never saw that side of my brother before. But soon after he killed the Innie, my dad died as well. He wound up dying from his wounds. That's when Jenkins started taking care of me, he made me food, taught me how to read and write. He became my father. As soon as he became eighteen, he signed up for the marines. He never told me but I could tell that he had a vendetta to enact. I soon joined the Marine Intelligence Center so I could try looking over him like how he did for me. But recently I haven't been able to find him. So, thank you for coming into my life."

Germaine reached over and rubbed Lincolns forearm. Link felt what she was feeling and put his hand on hers.

"No problem."

Link soon realized that they were not having a secluded conversation anymore. He saw that the entire room was now silent and was listening into their talk with the same eyes link had not two minutes before. The groups of women soldiers were looking at the two with romantic gestures, which made link slightly uncomfortable.

"And by the way, you can call me Gem. That's what everyone calls me."

She smiled as Link nodded his head.

"And if you want, you can call me Link, your brother seems to call me that anyway."

"Okay."

They both chuckled to relieve the tension that was growing. Without warning, a door to a large auditorium opened to the right of the group. It made a loud clang that made everyone jump. But as soon as it opened a familiar face came through the doorway.

"Alright people, take a seat in here, Dr. Halsey wants to start soon. My name is Officer Mendez if you need anything. Okay?"

Mendez stood statuesque in the threshold of the door. He was taller than most of the others in the room and his arms were like cannons. It was said that he trained the Spartans and made them what they are, which was not surprising. A man like Mendez was meant for the military. One who stays in until the bitter end.

The group replied in a uniform manner and they began to flow into the huge room. The group of marines dispersed into the auditorium and Link went to the front of the middle row. He wanted to get a good view. Gem followed him to the front and took a seat.  
"Is it alright if I sit here? I don't know anyone else and I fell much more comfortable with you."

Link blushed.

"Of course you can."

Gem sat down with a thud. The room began to get cramped with the silence and the air began to feel heavy. Everyone thought that it had started but they were wrong. Ten minutes of complete silence went by. No one even coughed. Some people adjusted themselves in their seats but the creaking noise brought the attention of the entire room, which made the person feel more than awkward. The uneasy feeling was brought about because no one knew what Halsey had to say. Whether or not if they are being brought in for experiments or what but it scared them.

The feedback of a microphone made the audience jump as Dr. Halsey came on the stage. The screech was loud enough to make some of the soldiers cover their ears. Halsey walked into the center of the stage, wearing her trademark white lab coat and glasses. She looked almost exactly the same as the video, Link thought. The one thing that was odd was her face, melancholy to say the least but with a touch of excitement.

"Welcome."

No one knew whether to clap or to stay silent so half the audience clapped while the other half sat with their hands on their laps. Halsey, ignoring the half backed applause and looked at each of the audience members. Her eyes shifting to one person to the next giving herself just enough time to examine everyone evenly. After her inspection, she continued.

"You must be confused on why you are here… Ahem. You're here because the UNSC needs you."

The audience shifted at the news. Some of the marines behind Gem and Link whispered to each other their thoughts.

"What do you think she means man?"

"I don't know, shut up! I wanna hear this."

Halsey lifted her hand in a demanding way, letting the audience know that she wanted silence.

"The Spartans have done a lot, so much that they have stretched their numbers to an almost insufficient amount. Through my research I have created a new program, one that could make you rival the Spartans."

Link sat forward in his chair. Now enticed by this piece of meat dangling in front of him.

"It's called the Olympian Project. It will revolve around the collaboration of yourself and a member of the Cerberus Project. If you don't know what the Cerberus Project is, I'll tell you. It was an idea I have been working on as a side project while working on the Spartans. The main goal was to create highly advanced Attack Dogs. This is related to you because you will become their trainers. Their Masters."

The group stirred again. Gem tilted her head in confusion and looked at Link. Link looked right back at her and shrugged. A marine sitting behind them stood without warning and spoke.

"Hello ma'am, my name is Corporal Leonard McKinley, and I just have one question. You say that these dogs are _highly advanced,_ correct?"

"Yes, go on."

"If these dogs are so _advanced_ what would stop them of killing their handlers? What would make them obey our commands?"

Halsey predicted this question.

"Well, Mr. McKinley, you will be advanced as well. When becoming an Olympian, you will be sent through two body modification surgeries. The first surgery is a mental one. We will first inject you with a drug that will amplify you brains activity and allow you to access more than just your usual capacity. Then, you will go through a physical surgery. We will undergo one more procedure that will allow your body to be pushed to its sheer limits. You will practically become a Spartan, and not to mention a new suit of armor that I personally have been working on. That is what the dogs will see. They will see someone much different than just another person. They will see you, their master."

Link was enticed at what she was saying, but was still confused. After McKinley sat down, Link stood.

"Hi, uh, I'm Corporal Lincoln Henderson, and I wanted to ask you why did you chose dogs? I mean, you could just make more Spartans."

"It seems that people today fail to realize that dogs are smarter than we give them credit for. They can sense things that we humans use machines to detect. Their senses of sight, smell, and hearing are unimaginably stronger than ours. When trained correctly they could detect Innie traps, they could find Innie bases, and when working with you, they could bring down whole Innie compounds."

Link's question was answered. He just stood, speechless at the idea of being strong like a Spartan and in command of a warrior hound like that. But in mid thought, Halsey spoke.

"It's not going to be just about you, nor is it just going to be about the dog. It's going to be about the two of you, working as one. You will fight as a duo, train together, and even eat together. Your Cerberus will become your second persona. But as of right now I can't tell you anymore. My assistant will give you a sizable packet when you leave. I want you all to read it. It will give you a better idea of what will happen in this program. If you read the packet and are still interested, then you have one week from now to sign up. Thank you all for coming."

Halsey started to walk off the stage and the others began to leave the auditorium. By the door was a man standing next to a table with mounds of paper that were held together by shiny clips. As the others made their way to the door, the man passed the packets out to them. Link grabbed one and read the cover as he went out into the waiting room. The packet was titled _The Olympian Project. _Link sighed and waited for Gem to get her copy of the massive stack of paper. Gem made her way out and was flipping through the pages, skimming the text for what was inside.

"So, what do you think?"

Gem stopped skimming and rubbed here eyes.

"I don't know. It sounds interesting, but I just don't know. I need to read this. I'm really taking this into consideration."

"Yeah me too. I'm going to get a coffee, wanna join me?"

Link said as he stretched his back.

"Sure. But I can't stay out long. I want to get on top of this reading thing as soon as possible. This could be big for me."

"Yeah, it could be for me as well."

With out warning, Links mind went back to Aften Marsh. It made him think, was this something a calling that was once in a lifetime? Was this something that could stop the Insurrectionists all together? Could he avenge all the deaths that the war has claimed like Gems dad and Aften? What could it mean for the future of humanity, the future of him?

Later that Night

Location: Reach, ODST Barracks 3

The Packet was heavy on Links lap. He had gone through one hundred of the one hundred fifty pages and he felt worn. His eyes were tired and head pounding, it wasn't much different from the morning. The bunk was soft and cushy but it was rough on his backside after sitting on it for so long. The others were out drinking again and the barrack was empty, not one sound except the flipping of the pages of the packet. It was lonely but it gave Link some time to think about what he wanted to do. It was a decision that would alter the rest of his life, and he wondered if it would be worth it.

The image of Links family came into his mind. His mother, brother, and father. How would they feel about him joining? All in all, it was his choice. So he wound up not caring much about their feelings. One thing that was making him worry about the program is that he would not get any breaks throughout the rest of the war. The Olympians and Cerberus would fight until the war was finished, the exact same duty of the Spartans. Was it worth leaving normal life behind? In a sudden flash of excitement, Link stood and threw the packet onto the bunk. Yes! He thought. It would be completely worth it to leave everything behind. They would be the protectors of the common good, he wouldn't let anything like what happened to Aften Marsh or Gems father happen ever again. This gave Link chills and he made his decision. He would join the Olympians. The last thing he had to think about was how to tell the guy's that he was leaving. That would be the true challenge.

After Link finished the rest of the packet he flopped down onto his bunk. It was late but he was too excited to sleep. His eyes wide open and staring at the bunk above him, he though of what the dog he would be given to train would be. What would he name it, or would it already come with a name. As he thought the door of the barracks slid open and the guys came in, of course, drunk. Link sat up and scurried over to Jack who almost fell while working his way through the door, and the others were right behind him. The Captain was the last one in and Link saluted him.

"There's no need to salute me right now, boy. We on leave."

"Sir I need to speak with you."

"Let me guess, your going to take Halsey up on her offer?"

Link didn't respond. He already knew? Link thought.

"How do you know…"

"Me and Halser are good friends, she asked permission to take you from us if you chose to go. I said if that's what yer heart desired. Do you want to go?"

Link stood silent for a couple of seconds. Wondering if leaving the guys was really a good idea.

"Boy, this whole unit is real proud of you. And we don't care if you leave. You have been a good soldier. Now do what's right for you."

The Captain patted Link on the shoulder and walked over to his bunk. As he sat down to take his boots off, he said one more thing.

"But don't think you'll ever be better than us. You'll always be an ODST at heart."

Before he could get one shoe off, he leaned back and fell asleep. Link smiled and he could feel his heart racing. He would join the Olympians.

End

A/N: Goddamn! Why are you so enticing Dead Space 2? Stop distracting me with you gory goodness. But anywhosen, his chapter is kinda choppy. To you that think that this story is going slow, I hear you. Its gonna pick up in the next chapters so rest assured. I put a little cameo of my great grandpa in there, when the Captain says, "boy, this whole unit is real proud of you." He used to say that to my dad before he passed and he would be sitting on the couch with his head would be nodding off cause he was a tired old guy. :P Anyway, this chapter had a lot of questions. Mostly it's Lincoln asking things to himself. But if you have any questions you wish to be answered, please, feel free to write them in the comments. Thanks to all you readers out there!

Casey 


	3. Chapter 3: Her Life of Guilty Pleasures

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 3

Her Life of Guilty Pleasures

Log: Dr. Catherine Halsey

Date: 2522 December 1

Location: Reach, ONI Sword Base ~ Research Facility

I wonder when this will be all over. When I can stop taking the futures of people away so we as a species can find some sort of everlasting peace. But I know that's just a dream, some sort of hallucination. As long as we are human, we will fight. It's what we are. But anyway, I must continue with my research. I have found the three right chemical components to perfectly alter the Olympians and Cerberi. After many trials and… errors, these chemicals are the right consistency for the alterations and are listed in the order they are given during the procedures. They will be given in two dose segments to improve the outcomes.

Body Altering Chemicals:

Cytopothmine~ Capable in large doses to increase brain function. It causes the impulses of the brain to be less restricted and free moving, making the patient have a minimum IQ of 150 but can retain its former self.

Dexotryophimite~ Capable of controlled extreme cellular growth in muscle, nerve, and other major tissues. It causes the patient pain in the first hour of injection. It supposedly makes the patient feel like their insides are on fire. But that is an easy thing to ignore. Once the procedure is complete, all tissues affected by this chemical are strengthened and defined. The patient will also increase their height, which happens to be a side effect of the chemical. The patient will unfortunately will not be given the option of pain killers. They need to feel the pain in order for their body's to grow correctly.

Proboxoline~ This chemical is the most unstable of all the chemicals we are giving the patients. It reacts with endorphin and adrenaline sensors in the brain and in a crisis situation it increases the user's strength tenfold. This chemical is given to the patient when they have passed all other tests and are ready to go into the field to start training. When given, it has different effects depending on the patient. It could work fine and integrate to the patients flesh, or it could kill them. It is given to the patient while they sleep to avoid complications.

End Thoughts

I just can't help but think whether this is the right thing to do. I am already guilt riddled over the Spartans and what I did to them, could I live with myself if I did it again? But the Spartans wound up being better than I had ever expected. Is it the right thing to do? Operations on the Cerberi start in five days; I guess it's too late to have second thoughts.

END LOG

Date: 2523 January 1, 7 AM

Location: New Alexandria, ONI building

"Medic Corporal Henderson?"

A woman's voice called out amongst a large crowd of people waiting in the massive waiting room. Even this early in the morning, the building was buzzing like a beehive. Link was just getting off the APC that brought him to the facility and he was shivering with anticipation. He heard his name called and raised his hand, not knowing who was looking for him or why.

"Ah, Mr. Henderson, welcome back."

Link turned around and there she stood, Dr. Halsey with her signature lab coat and glasses. Link dropped his bag and saluted her; it was all he could think of doing in the situation at hand.

"Ma'am!"

Halsey's body guards walked over to Links sides and glared at him.

"Mr. Henderson, I just want to let you know, you don't have to call me _Ma'am_. Think of me as your new adopted mother."

Link stopped saluting her and placed his hand down at his side. Mother? He thought. This was much different that the ODST core. In training, you would be punished for those thoughts. Then again, there were exceptions. The Captain was one of those exceptions.

"We are about to leave. Are you ready to go?"

Halsey said as she began walking to the elevators. It was the last chance to choose his destiny. Go with the Olympians or go back to the barracks.

"Ma'a… Halsey, I would like to join the Olympians."

Halsey just turned around, her hair blocking the right side of her face. A smirk emerged on her face and she giggled to herself.

"Good, we needed you anyway."

"Uh, what?"

"You're a medic, are you not?"

Link mentally slapped the back of his head and figured why he was picked. He was a combat medic and those skills are hard to come by.

"In the IRC you will be an essential."

"The IRC?"

"Ah, yes I'm sorry, I haven't told you yet. Once you have finished your training and you have gained your Cerberus partner, you will be part of the Insurrectionist and Riot Control Organization. You will report to the UNSC and will work with not only with marines, but Spartans as well."

Yet again, Halsey stopped Link in his thoughts. This had grown into something much more than what he had expected.

"What do the IRC do, exactly?"

"They do exactly what the acronym states. You, with the assistance of the other IRC agents, will fight the Insurrection. But recently we have seen large numbers of Innies gather and they have over powered the marines. That's where you come in. Like roman soldiers, you will strike down any riots with the assistance of your Cerberus partner. But you will also do tactical assaults on Insurrectionist strongholds. Similar to the SWAT organization back on Earth. Are you having second thoughts?"

Link pondered the new information she had just given him. This was not in the packet. But it was a new challenge; one that Link felt would be fun to take.

"No, Mr. Halsey."

"Good."

Date: 2523 January 1, 8 PM

Location: Reach Orbit, UNSC Hopeful ~ Operating Station

"Do you know where you are right now?"

"Yeah, this is the Hopeful. She is amazing!"

The UNSC Hopeful was a ship of sheer human resilience. Through the years of war, it was a light of hope to any injured soldier.

"Okay, Mr. Henderson, your room is right here. You will be joining the others in about an hour."

"I wanted to ask you something."

The nurse tilted her head slightly.

"How many others are there?"

The nurse went into her data pad and scrolled through a list of names.

"You will be joining the other six thousand seven hundred and fifty one Olympians."

Link coughed in surprise.

"HOW MANY?"

"Yes I know. It's a lot of people. Your unit is going to be in the auditorium in an hour. Try not to get lost."

The nurse winked at Link and walked away. Link scratched the back of his head and opened the door to his room, an eight by eight closet with a small bed. He figured his sleeping arrangement would be like that. With a toss, Link threw his bag onto his bunk and sat next to it. It had been an entire day with out a show and Link noticed he smelled crude. Link stood and took off his shirt and glanced at himself in the mirror. After being in the ODST's for the length he was, he was very muscular. The scar on his face was sizable, cascading down his face from his right temple to the base of his neck. Then he looked straight back at himself. His eyes looked as if they were in a constant state of sadness, but the green of his iris lit them up. His hair, wiry and short was not even a half-inch in length but he didn't care about his hair. Was he going to change through the procedures, he thought to himself. What would his family think?

After getting cleaned up in the station shower, Link took a walk. Investigating the corridors of the Hopeful. It was a massive ship and its many levels got confusing to keep track of. The many people on board moved about in an almost water like motion, doing what their jobs were to keep the ship in order. A nurse treating a wounded marine, a doctor helping a child to use his new prostatic leg, marines training in the barracks quarter, it was a sight to see. Link saw a wall monitor and it showed him the time, an hour had passed and he was going to be late.

"Oh shit!"

He began running back the way he came but it got very confusing, the many levels he traveled started to meld together in his mind.

"What level was I on? Uh-m… Two? No, two was the training hall. Was it level four?"

With a panicked expression on his face he slid into an elevator and punched the four button with as much force as he could. It was the best shot he had at getting the right floor. But as it made its way down to the fourth floor, the five levels in between seemed to have many people going down as well. When the elevator finally reached the fourth floor, Link bolted out and ran straight to the auditorium. Many other young marines just started to be let in and he just made it in time. Panting, he walked up to the door and stood in the mass of marines as they trickled into the room.

Link found a seat, directly in the middle of the auditorium. As he plopped down in his chair he looked over to his left and saw a familiar face.

"Link!"

"Hey, Gem! Wow, so you decided to join?"

"Yeah. I figured it would be a new journey that I could embark on. After you told me about Jenkins and how he's doing fine, I decided that he could take care of himself. Now it is time for me to do something for myself."

Link smiled.

"Yeah. Me too."

Gem smiled back and they both looked forward at the stage. Halsey was sitting in a chair looking at the marines, a stone cold expression on her face. It frightened Link a little bit. The remaining marines took a seat and within ten seconds they became quite because Halsey stood.

"Thank you all for accepting my offer. But we must cut this gathering off sort. If you don't already know, the colony of New Jerusalem fell this morning to the Insurrectionists."

Many people gasped, a few people covered their mouths in shock. New Jerusalem was a vast colony with massive UNSC presence. If that colony fell, what could be the fate of the others?

"That's why we are cutting this short. We must get you to fighting status. Your first mission as an IRC unit is to save New Jerusalem from the Insurrectionists. So we will start you operations tomorrow."

No one disagreed. It was time to unleash a new type of soldier upon the Innies that would make them fear the UNSC for good. Link's heart raced. He was really going to do it, he thought. He was going to save an entire colony of people with his team of Olympians.

"The mission will be soon, but we must get you to fighting status. The marines will keep a blockade to keep the threat from spreading but they can only do it for so long. So we have a very small amount of time to get you ready, three weeks."

One marine stood and was obviously excited to no end.

"Ma'am, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for those operations now! Let's kick some Innie ass!"

The others cheered and shouted with excitement.

"Sit down soldier. You'll get your shot. But we must focus. This is going to be your unit. A group of one hundred soldiers with your Cerberus partners. In each of your rooms is holodisk that has your pre-designated schedule on it. You will be given your first dose of the drugs then you will go for planet side training and weapons training for a week. The next week will be your second and last dose of the drugs and a crash course in military history, strategy, and mathematics. The last week will be you getting to know your Cerberus partner and your armor. After this is all over, we can get you the real training you require. Got it?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

The entire room responded in unison.

"Good, now get a good night of sleep, you'll need it."

END

A/N: Sorry for the relatively short chapter this week. But I can defiantly say some good things are about to happen. It was kinda a trail to get this done on time. I was working all week and I had almost no time to do it. SORRY! D: but anyway, I shall see you next Sunday! Now I must vent my rage on some Covenant ass! Peace out.

Casey


	4. Chapter 4: The Days to Come

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 4

The Days to Come

Date: 2523 January 2

Location: Reach Orbit, UNSC Hopeful ~ Living Quarters

"Corporal Lincoln Henderson, it is time for you to get up."

A woman's voice spoke softly. Links head popped up, still half asleep, and looked around his room. No on was in his room and yet he swore he heard something say his name.

"Mr. Henderson, it is time for your first appointment with Dr. Halsey. Wake up now or you're going to be late."

Now he was sure he heard something. He jolted onto sitting position and darted his head around his room.

"Who's there?"

Link shouted as he became more paranoid than ever. The voice sighed and a small circular panel light up on the table adjacent from his bed. A figure started to take shape and after a few shutters and flickers, a blue and oddly dressed woman appeared. She wore a toga like an ancient Roman and had a stone tablet in her right hand, cradling it. Her other hand was pressed against her hip in a sassy manner and she had an annoyed look on her face.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Déjà, Dr. Halsey's assistant AI. I will be training you along with Officer Mendez for the second week of your train. I'm also here to administer your operations."

She held her tablet up to her face, as if reading it.

"You're scheduled for the first operation. Five AM. Rise and shine."

Link rolled over to the side of his bunk and glanced at Déjà.

"What's an AI?"

"An artificial intelligence. We are not a new technology at all and I'm surprised you don't know about us."

"We'll I'm not exactly up in the times. I came from Harvest after all."

Déjà lifted her tablet again.

"Ah! I see you grew up in Tigard, is that correct? _That_ is a very rural town."

Link stretched like a cat and stood and Déjà placed her tablet back to her side.

"So?"

Lincoln asked in annoyance.

"Oh nothing. Go to the Operating wing. You're scheduled for the first operation of the day. Once you're done, you will be sent planet side to start your training with SPCO Mendez."

Link finished putting his pants on and took one look back into the mirror. This was the last time he would see his old self.

"Yes, Ma'am."

The halls were still and silent. A draft of cold air made the hair on the back of Link's neck stand on end as he made his way down the hall. Many of the nurses stopped what they were doing and stared at him as he made his way to the operating room. The unnerving felling crept on his spine and wrapped itself around his head, making it hard for him to breath.

As he rounded the corner of the hall he saw five other marines, silent and waiting for their name to be called. One marine in particular was standing with his hand under his chin in a deep train of thought. Another marine, sitting in the corner of the hall, was nodding off back to sleep and couldn't hold himself awake. Link sat next to the one person that was familiar to him.

"Hey Gem."

Germaine looked up, her sandy blond hair matted from neglect flopped to her back and her usually bright face seemed to be much darker than usual. Her bright green eyes had lost their luster of joy and seemed to fall heavy. Black bags of exhaustion were forming under her perky eyelids and it showed that she hadn't slept for at least two days. Her slender arms supported her head as she too began to nod off. Link sat next to her and leaned back, resting his head on the panel behind him.

"You look tired."

Gem pressed the balls of her hands into her eyes, tying to wake up.

"Well hello to you too, Link. And yes, I haven't slept in three days. I have been thinking about this for so long. I just can't believe I'm actually here right now."

"Yeah, I had a hard time sleeping last night. I'm more excited than worried."

Gem quickly moved her hands from under head and let her head fall in between her legs. Her ball of oily hair soon followed.

"I just wished they hadn't waken us up so early."

Just as she said that, the loud clacking of high-heeled shoes came into the small room where the six marines sat.

"Well considering that you are now under our orders, this was sleeping in."

Dr. Halsey stood holding a tablet that she seemed to be very preoccupied with. Flipping her index finger furiously through the many programs on it's hard drive. She flicked her hair that covered her face over her ear and pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose in a very orderly fashion.

"Okay, Lincoln Henderson…"

She looked at Link and gave him a small smile that seemed to trouble him more.

"You are the first to go. Lucky you."

"Yeah. Lucky me."

Link glanced at Gem and patted her on the back. Gem's head popped up from between her legs and gave Link a somewhat enthusiastic smile, the most she could give in her state.

"Wish me luck."

Link stood and stood next to Halsey. His body was quivering from a combination of fear, excitement and the thought of the known. Halsey placed her hand on his shoulder and began to walk him into the doorway. But before the door closed Link could hear Gem say something that just barely registered in his ears.

"I wish a lot for us."

The operating room seemed to be familiar to Link. The darkness around the entire room with only the blinking lights of modules on the walls giving light was somewhat chilling. Three bright spotlight's shined down upon the only area that would be used in the operation and Halsey briskly walked to the side of the operating table. Behind her were three medical technicians that dashed back and fourth gathering data from the many machines. They were also getting ready for the surgery by preparing a large machine with two needles on the end of a long hydraulic arm. All Link could do was stand and wait, wait until Halsey called him. But it was time that he would become something more than himself. He thought of the Spartans and their triumphant victories over the Innies.

"Now it's my turn."

Link said to himself under his breath. Not knowing that Dr. Halsey heard him.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Oh, okay. We're ready for you now."

She turned to the technicians and they nodded in unison. Link too one very deep breath and walked to the table.

"Lay down."

Halsey said softly with a press of her hand against the cold metallic surface of the workbench like table. Link lifted his body against the table and swung his legs around to get comfortable, but the fierce bite of the cold metal shocked the skin as it touched.

"Will it hurt?"

Link asked as if it was the question of life. All Halsey could do was rub his forehead. Sliding her warm hand down his face and to his chin.

"Yes."

Link sighed in a way to try to control his now overflowing panic as the machine with the needles began to hum.

"Here, these will help."

Halsey gave him a piece of leather.

"What do you want me to do with…"

Link soon realized what it was for. He held it as his vision began to get much more vivid, a side effect of panic. His grip tightened as he brought he leather strap to his mouth and bit down.

"These will also help."

Two metal grips glided out from under the table and reached around to his hands. Link was not surprised by them and gripped them with all of his might, they didn't budge. He let go of the grips and removed the leather strap for one more instance to speak.

"Halsey, I'm ready."

Halsey rubbed his head again, but said nothing in return.

"Prepare the procedure, we are ready to operate."

Link placed the leather strap back into his mouth and bit down on the strap much harder than the first time. The grips also became very useful as Link saw the machine with the two needles slip in two, one half swinging over to the right side of his head and one on the left. His grip tightened even more when he saw two more mechanisms appear from under the table. The rotation and swinging motion reminded him of an old car production plant where robotic arms would slap cars together. But in this case, they were holding needles. Link kept his eyes focus on the ceiling. The fear was so unbearable that keeping his body so still was the only thing he could do to settle himself. Link figured that the least he moved, the less chance there was of error. The image of a doctor saying _hold still_ right before they stabbed a patient with a syringe showed an eerie resemblance. After preparing and angling the needles, Halsey elegantly pushed a series of buttons on her tablet, and the machines began to move in to their targets at an incredibly slow pace.

Link thought's slowed to a halt. The focus of his mind became the slow hum of the needles as they spun furiously like drills. It would only be moments before they made impact, but they seemed to take their time to make their way to the soft skin of the temple. Link squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the needles about to make impact. The needles made the air between itself and Links head move away like when a train passes you at a high speed, and they slowly pierced the skin, beginning Links new journey.

Link felt his skin tear under the force of the needle and it felt like a bee was stinging him constantly over and over in the same spot. But he soon realized that it was about to get much worse. After the needles penetrated the skin and other tissues, they began to work on the hard and smooth surface of the skull. The leather strap became very useful as the pain was shooting through him like a migraine on steroids. While his focus was drawn on the needles of his head, the other two needles began to go through the skin protecting his sternum, the part of the ribs that connect at the front that make a metaphorical _wall_ of bone. This caught Link off guard and he flinched as they too began to tear the skin and drill their way through the bone mass.

The screams he made were muffled by Link biting on the strap, the sound desperately trying to escape his mouth and make the true roar of his pain. As the pain grew, his growing volume began to make Halsey sad. She turned her head and gritted her teeth, trying to ignore her guilt from overriding her professionalism. But it was too much and she turned away from Link and covered her mouth to try not to vomit.

Eventually the bone of the skull was worn to nothing, and the needles slithered into the spongy grain matter. Links eyes suddenly widened and he felt himself now in a futile stare down with eh ceiling. The cold, trenchant needles worked their way through his brain, and it was the most uncomfortable feeling. An area of the body nothing was ever supposed to touch was being fondled and prodded. Link could feel his toes and fingers twinge frenziedly when the mechanical demons played with his mind. But for some reason, although the pain was unbearable, Links body felt like he had no more control. Almost as if he left his body, but kept looking through his eyes. But that was short lived as the other two needles ripped through his sternum, making a very disconcerting crack sound. A jolt of energy sprang into Links body and his right arm, moved by sheer terror, swung over the mechanism and threatened to pull it out. Suddenly, his mind gained control and stopped his hand hovering just above the mechanism. The technicians jumped by the swift action and prepared to restrain him but Halsey stopped them by forcefully projecting her arm out, making her body a barricade.

"No, he is doing fine. Let him handle it himself. If he is going to become an IRC agent, he has to be able to take the pain."

The lead technician placed his hand on his forehead and looked at Link bothered by his struggling mental battle. Link desperately wanted to talk out the needles but he knew if he did, he could die. He would never see his family again, Gem, the other Olympians. With a surge of determination, he forced his hand to the grip, where he pulled on it with all of his strength.

The mechanisms then interrupted the process by sending out a shrill _beep_, signifying that they had done the drilling portion of the operation.

"Dr. Halsey, the machines are now ready for the injection."

The drilling stopped, the hot tips of the needles finally stopped. Link could feel the pain starting to subside, it was a relief. He tried to sigh but the metal sticks in his chest made it hard to.

"How you doing Lincoln?"

Link glanced over at Halsey and spat out the leather strap.

"As good as I could be, Ma'am."

Halsey smiled, relieved that he could be so resolute in such a trial. Halsey knelt down and picked up the strap.

"Trust me Lincoln, you will need this one more time."

"Why?"

With out warning the machines began to pump the two fluids into where they made their injections. Shooting stinging pain went through his chest and head as the chemicals began to fuse with his body. Without the leather strap to help contain the pain, he let out a roaring bellow as he felt his muscles tearing at an incredible rate. His head pounded from the foreign force now mixing into the curves and divots of his brain. His bones began to crack simultaneously and rapidly regenerated which made his legs and arms sprawl uncontrollably.

The mechanisms then made one final _beep_ as they slowly backed up from where they had drilled, filling the bone as it went with a bone paste that acted just like the original and instantly cauterized the skin.

Halsey walked over to him as the machines swung away and moved to their original position. Now it was just a matter of time before it was over. Halsey placed her hand on Links forehead yet again, ignoring his screaming and raging thrashing.

"It will all be over soon."

"Hi mama!"

Link ran to his mother and gave her a running jump hug. She stood chopping fruit on the kitchen counter and she patted him on the head. Links mother was tall, very tall. She stood at over six foot seven but her physique was matched that of a normal woman. Her titian colored hair flowed in the wind from an open window and she would constantly be putting her hair behind her ear.

"Hi Linky. How was school today?"

"Fine, but all the other kids make fun of me for my pants, why do they do that?"

Link looked up, his chubby face showed his youth and his long straight brown hair covered his hazel eyes; he had to move it over constantly to see. He wore a pair of very comical looking overalls that made him look like a miniature _Hillbilly_.

"I have no idea, little man. "

She placed her hand on Link's head and ruffled his hair.

"Want to help me Link? Go help your father work in the field he needs your help. Okay?"

"Okay!"

He scuttled out of the kitchen and the door slid open. The sun on Harvest was very much like the sun on Earth, strong, yet the clouds made it much more bearable. Links family farm was very lush, many different things grew there; lettuce, watermelons, and many other delicious natural foods. Link ran over to a Reaper that was collecting grain. This beast was huge, similar to the old dump trucks used in mining operations. Link could barely keep up, but managed to grab the railing of the beast. He climbed the latter that had been adorned with straggling strands of grain and opened the door to the cockpit.

"Hi daddy!"

"Oh, Linky! What you doin here?"

Links father was old for having such a young child. He was forty-five and had a ten year old son. Wrinkles that showed the many years of hard labor covered his face, but he wore them proudly. The many scars from being an ODST showed on his hands as well. The age didn't have any affect on his spirit, as his hair showed by staying its lengthy brown color. He drove the green and yellow Reaper down the almost endless ocean of grain and Link sat there for hours, just watching his dad collect the simple grain.

Link was at peace in the side seat of the Reaper, nothing was worrying him while with his father. As Link nodded off into sleep he could hear his father say under his breath, something that surprised him.

"Link, you know when you grow up, you'll be very important to us all, right?"

Link was able to lift head only a little and open his eyes.

"Hu?"

"You will become what humanity needs."

"What do you mean, daddy?"

Link's father then took his hands off the controls and grabbed Link by the shoulders. At the top of his lungs, Links father started to scream with such vigor that it could break glass he his grip was crushing his shoulders.

"YOU ARE WHAT WE MAKE YOU!"

The fields went from lush wheat to fields of fire. Light came down from the sky and burnt every patch of land and reduced it to nothing; trees were scalded to ash and the wheat shriveled up and blew away, showing a barren wasteland. This light also eradicated Links house, almost instantaneously as Link watched from the cockpit of the Reaper.

"MAMA NO!"

Link screamed out as he tried to get away from his fathers strong and supernatural grip. As the Reaper continued collecting what now seemed to be nothing than ash, another light appeared in front of the beastly machine.

"You are what we make you."

Link's fathers face than began to stretch like dough. His mouth widened to a point where it was unnatural for a human, snakelike, and his eyes bugged out of his head. His voice, echoed and scratchy like an old radio reverberated in Links head, defining to the least extent.

"DADDY! STOP THE TRUCK!"

As Link said that the Reaper sped its way into the blinding light and Links mind was plunged into darkness. Lincoln woke in a cold sweat on the same workbench-operating table he was on before. His eyes were wide and he could feel that they were open to their limit. Halsey was standing over him and was in a state of panic. Breathing heavily, she was holding two medical grade shock pads and the technicians were standing close by.

"What just happened?"

Link said out of breath. Halsey readjusted herself to a more professional pose.

"After three hours of body reconfiguration, you died, and uh, we were trying to bring you back. You seemed to have brought yourself back."

Link felt his chest where the needles were now gone. It felt strange; the two holes were now feeling as if they had been filled by something. The skin; it was cauterized too. Then Link remembered his head and felt the two also filled holes in his temples. It was over. Link gave a deep sigh of relief and lay down on the table.

"How long was I… Dead?"

"Ten minutes. We thought you were not going to come back to us. What we assume is that the Cytopothmine was able to preserve your brain. I don't know how though, it didn't have enough time to settle in, yet, it just did. You are a very lucky man, Lincoln."

Link remembered his disturbing dream. What could it mean? _You are what we make you? _What could that possibly mean? Links mind was throbbing from the operation and he could even think straight. But the image of his father and how everything went to hell made him unnerved.

"Maybe I'm not, Halsey."

END

A/N: Woohoo! FOUR CHAPTERS! Thanks for reading still, those who have been reading since CH 1. I shall call you my Bear Cubs! :D what a perfect name. It is just so right. So as you can tell, Link has evolved! Next chapter will be ever gooder as things will become way more actiony. I should be an advertiser I swear. But thank you all for reading and remember, COMMENT! Thanks and see you next Sunday!

Casey (Bearmaster)


	5. Chapter 5: Growing Exponentially

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 5

Growing Exponentially

Date: 2523 January 2 ~ 2000 hours (Military Time)

Location: Spartan Training Grounds ~ Reach

The physical training was the equivalent of torture for Link and the other Olympians. Not even ten hours after the cataclysmic surgery, Mendez was working them in overdrive. Link could see and feel the effects of the surgery; bruises covered his entire body and his muscles were warped from stretching. From the time the group of Olympians touched down on Reach, Mendez was on their asses. First thing he did was make Link and the others run for two hours nonstop around the entire facility, up steep faces and across large fields of mud. Directly after that came the obstacle course, a gauntlet of climbing walls and swinging over pits of mud. But it was thought that if you didn't get muddy at least once a day, you weren't tying hard enough.

After the obstacle course, Mendez would lead the team to a cement surface where the team would do backbreaking amounts of pushups, jump-n-jacks, sit-ups and many other exercises. That was not the end of the day though. Directly after that was a series of mental trials that were meant to get the Olympians to fully understand combat. Mendez put them in a training simulator, which allowed the team to work as a whole. Tactical training was also a huge part of that session. Mendez told them if they were to be a well rounded unit, they would need to become one object, one unstoppable object. So he gave the team a number of wooden shields to practice with. The team would practice deflecting small rocks that were thrown by others and try to counter act the attacks and many other things using only the shield. After about an hour of 'shield training' was the cool down, a series of stretches and muscle relaxing posses allowed the team to finally catch their breath.

Gem and Link were barely able to keep up. But once the cool down was next, they almost collapsed into a mass of sweat. One of the Olympians seemed to be putting the others to shame. His name was Derrick Schwartz, Olympian number six-five-nine-zero. Throughout even challenge he came out on top and with a smile on his face. He was short for an Olympian, seeing as though every other Olympian was now at least seven foot tall. Derrick stood at six foot one and people thought he had 'little man syndrome', where since he knew he was smaller than the rest he had to prove himself. But as the training went on, he never was conceited, arrogant, or self absorbed. On many occasions, when it seemed that someone would be struggling with a challenge, he would help them overcome it. A true leader.

At the end of the training, the team was allowed to go to their quarters, where they could eat, shower and relax. Link couldn't feel his feet and Gem was so exhausted she could barely get off the floor after her stretching. Another Olympian seemed to be in grave pain, rolling on the floor and curled up in a ball. It wasn't good. He was like that for some time now. Link stood and dragged his feet over to his teammate and knelt down.

"Hey man, I'm a medic, what's wrong?"

The guy could hardly speak as well as his voice was muffled by his hand.

"My stomach! It hurts! Like someone is stabbing me!"

Link went over to his bunk and pulled out his medic kit. In his kit was a med-scanner, similar to an ultra-sound scanner but it showed everything, including bone matter, blood vessels and veins, nerve responses and much more. After pushing the red button at the top, it turned on with a slow ping noise.

"Alright, let's see what the problem is."

Link lifted the man's shirt and placed the scanner on his side, where it slowly started to project an image of his insides.

"So, what's your name, Olympian?"

"I'm Theorell Kensington, O dash one-two-four-nine."

Theorell was barely able to say his name before going into another pain induced rolling spree. Link held him down but he moved too much to get a good scan.

"Fuck man! I need you to hold still if I'm going to get a good reading!"

"I'll help!"

Derrick stood from where he was playing cards with another teammate and ran over. He grabbed Theorell's shoulders and pinned him to the ground.

"There, will that help?"

"Yes! Thanks a bunch!"

Theorell let out a groan of anger as they pinned him down. But it was the only way to let Link see his problem.

"Okay, seems you have a knot in your intestine. Not a big deal."

Link got back up and pushed the red button on the scanner again, turning it off. He walked back to his med-kit and pulled out a vile of pills that were quite small.

"You'll need to take a few of these every day, twice a day. Okay? It should start to feel better once you take one, but you need to take them all to get rid of it for sure. Okay?"

Theorell looked up at Link and took the vile, popped the top off and took one of the pills. Link gave him his canteen and let him swig some water down.

"Okay, thanks man, I appreciate it."

Derrick let go of his shoulders and he settled into the floor, relaxing almost completely.

"Hey, doc, how did you know what pills to give him?"

Link looked up at Derrick.

"Well, it's actually common for us men to get this happen to us. If we work out really hard, we have extreme pain in our abdomen. It's caused by, as I said before, and knot in the system or gas. In Theorell's case, it was pretty minor."

"Wow, don't do that again, idiot!"

Derrick slapped Theorell on the back of the head in a playful manner.

"Wait, you know him?"

"Yeah, we were in the same special marine task force unit together. We're best friends."

Link felt glad that there was friendship among the Olympians already. It made him think of the future of the unit.

"Well I'm here to help."

Link patted Theorell on the chest and gave him a smile. Theorell gave him one back but went back to breathing heavily, trying to control the pain as it subsided.

Gem gained her footing after getting herself off the ground and saw Link in action. She was amazed at his calmness in the situation and wondered if it was the fact that he was so exhausted he couldn't get scared or if it was that Link was that good with his emotions in that situation. As Link placed everything back in his med-kit, Gem walked to him and rubbed his back.

"You're a good medic, you know that?"

"Hm? Oh thanks Gem!"

She sat down on his bunk watching him rearrange all the supplies that had scattered in his attempt to find the scanner.

"How did you get all that stuff?"

"Oh, I was issued all of it. I take what I think I need for the mission at hand, and pack myself up. I bring everything from a bio-foam to that scanner to pills. It's the burden of the medic."

Link stuck out his tongue and sighed. Gem giggled.

"So, what are your specialties Gem? I never asked."

"Mine? I have no idea. I haven't fought much in combat, only once."

"Ah, well you'll find what your skills are once we go into battle."

Gem smiled and got up off Links bunk.

"I'm gonna sleep now. I can't feel my thighs."

Link laughed and zipped up his med-kit. Link looked back at Gem as she gracefully wandered to her bunk and lay down. Her physic was defiantly different than before, her height had gone up by two feet and her body seemed much more defined. Her muscles seemed to be like steel cords on top of a stone boney surface. But when Link thought about it, they all had changed to that standard. Every team member had this new look. They all seemed to have a glow about them that made them seem epic. Link wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling that they were going to see a lot of action.

Link then looked at himself. He hadn't had a chance to see himself since after the surgery, and he didn't recognize himself. His eyes had changed color, from green to a florescent blue. The scar that went down his face had shrunk to a small scratch mark and the lines of his face had more definition. He could feel that his jaw had also gained mass as he rubbed the stubble on his face. Link felt like he wasn't in his own body, as if he was in some kind of dream. But he knew it wasn't a dream.

Theorell was just getting off the floor when Link was investigating his own face. Link glanced at Theorell and looked at him. Slender, but not scrawny. His eyes were the same florescent blue as everyone else's. Theorell stood and rubbed his belly, still in a small amount of pain. After he remembered where his feet were, he turned to Derrick and patted him on the shoulder. It looked comical; Derrick didn't get much height from the surgery and stayed at six foot tall while Theorell was seven foot five.

"Thanks man. I need to lay down now."

Theorell said, without emotion. He was spent after that pain he went through; also the addition of the massive day workout didn't help.

"Yeah, me too."

Derrick finished in first with everything. But he didn't have the same exhaustion as everyone else. It puzzled Link, and probably everyone around him.

Derrick was an odd addition to the Olympians. He came from a boarder colony called Biko; one of humanities many struggling colonies. The planet was a mining operation that grew to a colony, but once the planet was completely mined, it became a fruitless hell for the people. Most of the inhabitants became thieves or renegades due to loss of money and work, making the colony spiral into a depression. The colony was always in darkness; the atmosphere was not able to support life so the colony was a completely indoor facility; making all of the inhabitance lose their healthy skin color. But Derrick had a vivacious skin color. It was odd, but it didn't matter. Derrick was the best agent in the team, and humanity needed someone like him.

Date: 2523 January 10

Location: Training Grounds, Reach

The first week was hell for the trainees. Almost no sleep and little recuperation time made them weak and in numerous occasions, they begged for rest as they worked to their full abilities. But that wasn't even the worst part.

After the first week was the mental sculpting of the training. From the start of their usual day, five in the morning, they were brought to the Technical Emporium; the large structure in the middle of the barren training ground. There, the trainees were schooled in military tactics, strategy, mathematics, and leading abilities. Although the brass knew that not all of the IRC agents would be able to lead other agents, they knew they would need to lead marines and civilians when in heated situations.

Link was a natural at mathematics and strategy. Coming from a farming family, Link's father knew every strategy to keeping his fields in peek condition. Every Sunday, when Link wasn't in extracurricular school, his father would teach him the trade. It tought him how to grow the crops, then harvest them to make the most money, like if the harvest was small, it was always a good idea to invest in a different crop for the next year. Small things like that, but it gave him the knowledge to be a great strategist.

The sessions of class were long and tedious. Nine hours of the morning would be reserved for the sessions, then a half an hour break allowing the trainees to eat and go to the bathroom. Then they would be tested directly after on what they had just learned. If they got below a ninety percent on any of the five, one hundred question, tests, they would be punished with electrical prods to the back of the neck. Needless to say that each of the trainees were taped at least once.

Out of all of the trainees, Theorell was punished the most. He had set the record of failed tests at an average of three failed tests a day; the poor man begun to get used to the stunners bite. Of course, Derrick never failed a test. When the first day was finished, the group shunned him for his greatness by not talking to him that night. He was fine with it though, he let the others vent and have their way. Eventually they would turn around.

"Goddamn man! I hate man!"

Theorell plopped his head on the holo-pad and covered his head with his hands.

"Come on one-two-four-nine, do we need to _discipline_ you again? Its been six days of this."

A trainer walked past him with his prod, tapping it against Theorell's back.

"Ugggh, fine."

Theorell lifted his head and completed his test. Surprisingly, he passed with a ninety-one percent on all of his tests. He gave a sigh of relief as the trainer put his prod away and smiled at him with pride.

Gem was a natural as well with mathematics and strategy. She was originally with the intelligence unit so she was a genius to begin with. She was disciplined only once during her second week of training. But she took the prod with a smile and gritted her teeth.

"GOD! I'm so glad we're done!"

Link sat down on his bunk after his last day of mental training. The group was exhausted. But it was over. Now they could focus on the road ahead. The last chapter of their training was training their dogs and getting into their armor for the first time. But no one had any idea of what it would be like. They had an idea of what the other weeks were going to be about, but this was a new experience.

Gem sat down, fried from the weeks of abuse, and let a sigh out that gave the rest of the group closure. Derrick had the most energy out of anyone and was strutting around the barracks with glee. Theorell, who told everyone to call him by his nickname, Kenny, was thankful to be away from the harsh grip of the trainers.

Link was resting his head on the wall, perched on the wall. Thinking about what he had gone through in the past two weeks. The next day would be the last surgery, but they knew what was to expect. Pain and then more pain. So Link decided that the best course of action was to go to sleep, get rest for the last surgery that awaited him. He looked at the others, he was so proud for the group, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was with a family again. They had been through so much in the training and he knew everyone intimately, every person of the one hundred-person unit.

Link put his head down on his pillow, and let his eyes shut. His body had so much contained energy that it was a task to sleep. But as he let his body conform to the beds curves, he let himself fall into the sweet embrace of the cot.

Date: 2523 January 18

Location: Training Grounds, Reach

It was finally the day of graduation. The trainees became full-fledged agents of the IRC after the last surgery. But there was no ceremony. No families cheering for their kids. All the graduation was was Mendez giving the unit a small badge. All it was adorned with was the acronym of the team; IRC sown in with red letters within a blue two-pronged shield. Link took the patch and gripped it with his now huge hand. He felt like a Spartan, but better. The surge of energy that went through him after receiving the badge made his eyes tear up, but he restrained himself to not make a fool out of himself. Then he saluted Mendez for the last time. But before Mendez moved on, Link grabbed his hand in a tight vice.

"Thank you, sir. You made me into a better man."

Mendez was surprised by his advance, but returned the handshake with a much tighter grip. Although he wasn't an IRC agent, or even a Spartan, he had the grip of a thousand men from the many years of battling the Insurrection.

"I'm proud to have trained you. Now you must go on to make your own path. Make the UNSC proud son."

Mendez smiled and released Links hand.

"I will, sir."

Mendez finished giving out the badges as saluted the unit.

"Who are you!"

"Agents sir!"

"I didn't hear you!"

"AGENTS OF THE UNSC, SIR!"

The unit replied with gusto. Mendez then began clapping in response to the team.

"You go out there and show those Innes what the UNSC is made of!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Go to the armory, you can get fitted for you armor there. Dismissed!"

The group then relaxed and begun to discuss among themselves. Some gloated about their victory over the challenges put in front of them, others just thanked each other for being there to support the others.

"Hey, Link."

Gem maneuvered he way through the crowd and tugged on Links shirtsleeve.

"Hey Gem! Are you excited that we graduated!"

Gem laughed under her breath.

"Yes, I am. I just wish my family, especially Jenkins could see how far we had come in just these two weeks."

Link rubbed her shoulder.

"Hey are proud of you, Gem. No matter if you became an Agent or not. They will love you until you die."

Link kissed Gem on the forehead.

"You will be fine. Just stick close to me the others. We will win this, and we will see our families again."

Gem looked up at Link and embraced him in a full hug.

"Thank you Link."

Gem said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Location: Armory

"Welcome, Noobs!"

A loud voice rang over the room. Gem, Derrick, Kenny, and Link stood in the armory and they darted their heads at where the voice came from.

"Your late. The others got their armor already. What took you so long?"

Derrick scratched the back of his head and chuckled.

"Sorry sir, we wanted to get lunch before coming here."

A huge man walked around from behind a ammunition dump. He was enormous. At least eight foot tall.

"Okay, my name is Johan Sorivad. Spartan one-one-two. Ill be giving you your armor."

Kenny tensed up and took a step back.

"WHOA! Aren't you the Man-eater!"

The man sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, so?"

"OH MY GOD! I can't stop reading about you! You literally got all of your teeth sharpened so you could rip people apart, right? You killed a man with your mouth!"

The others, now aware of the situation backed up a few inches.

"Okay, listen, all cause I killed a man by biting his thought out with my teeth doesn't mean I'm a savage. Okay?"

Link coughed.

"Yeah it does."

"You know, you're the one-hundredth person to ask me that! You know that? It really gets on my nerves."

He ended the sentence with a big smile, flashing his shark like teeth. He had an almost vicious composure that made the group uneasy.

"Uhm, okay, I wont ask anymore questions."

"Good, lets get you fitted up. Come over here to this terminal."

The group walked over to the terminal that Johan stood by; it looked similar to a shield generator for the Mjolnir armor.

"Excuse me sir, but what does this machine do?"

Derrick asked with a cheerful voice.

"It takes your size measurements so that your armor will fit you perfectly. Just stand still and you'll be fine."

Derrick glanced at the machine and stood in the center of the panel.

"Okay, lets begin."

The machine started to hum and two large pillars spun around Derrick. After warming up, a blue laser started to scan every part of his body for measurements. Johan looked up as he manned the terminal and began to ask many questions.

"Okay boy, what is your number?"

"O-six-five-nine-zero, sir."

"Any specific class?"

"No sir."

"What is your favorite color?"

"Uh, yellow, why?"

Johan didn't answer. But all he did was smile and continue typing data into the terminal.

"Okay, that's it. Just wait until the machine stops and your armor will be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Wow! Really? That's fast."

"Yeah I know. You guys got all the preferential treatment from Halsey. You get great armor, and we have to settle for this old shit."

Johan pointed to his helmet and glared at it angrily. Derrick laughed and quickly tried to retreat it. But Johan heard it.

"You think that's funny, boy?"

Johan stood, his massive body blocked out the light. Derrick immediately backed up into the pillar that spun to a halt.

"Uh, no sir! I'm sorry sir!"

Derrick tried to stand straight as hard as possible. But Johan got really close and grinned, showing Derrick his meat grinder of a mouth.

"The last time someone laughed at me, they lost their larynx."

Derrick felt himself become very weak and he begun to quiver.

"Hahahaha, oh boy, that was funny. Don't worry kid. I respect you Agents."

"Hahaha!"

Derrick let out a hysterical laugh, obviously though his sheer fear, and then fell over in shock.

"Oh that was good, man!"

Kenny laughed as he pointed at Derrick.

"Okay, you're next."

Johan pointed at Kenny.

"Wha…"

Gem and Link chuckled immaturely at Kenny's shock and decided to watch what happened next.

Thirty Minutes Later

The scanning was done and the armors came out on a large podium next tot the scanner. All adorned with the units badge that they had just received not to long ago.

"Okay, noobs, line up."

The four of them lined up in front of the podium, eagerly awaiting their armor that was made for them.

"Okay! Here we go. O-six-five-nine-zero, Derrick Schwarts? You have this armor."

Johan pointed to the yellow and black armor in the podium. The armor was the same looking as everyone else's, but it had noticeable differences. For one, it was primarily black on the armor. Only certain areas of the armor were yellow, like the top of the helmet, shoulders, kneecaps, and forearms. There was a comms device on the right arm and it seemed to be active.

"Excuse me sir, what is that?"

"That, it's a SCCD, satellite connected communication device. All unit leaders need one."

Derrick coughed on his spit.

"Leaders?"

"Yep. Your leader of your unit, buddy."

Johan winked at Derrick and chuckled. Derrick was beside himself. He looked at the armor then to the group, then to the armor again. He did that for at least a minute before he began to get dizzy.

"Okay, O-five-six-zero-one, Germaine Wallee?"

"Yes sir?"

Gem replied with excitement.

"This is your armor."

Johan pointed to the next armor in the podium. The primary color was the same, but her secondary color was blue. She was also extremely excited. It was perfect. The right measurements and everything. She went to the glass and pressed up to the glass and started to drool.

"Thank you sir."

Gem said with an almost zombie like voice. She was in a trance because of the armor.

"Next O-one-two-four-nine, Theorell Kensington."

"Yes sir!"

Theorell was excited to receive his armor but he knew what he was going to get, the same armor as everyone else, but with a crimson secondary color. He began to think about the armor and he got himself giddy.

"Here we go, your armor."

Johan pointed to the next armor on the podium. Kenny looked into the glass and expected what he thought, but was horribly stopped.

"Uh, you got the color wrong."

Johan chuckled to himself.

"Nope, you said you liked orange, right?"

"NO!"

"Oh, well, its your armor, boy. Get used to it."

Kenny looked at the armor and felt his heart sink. He felt like crying as his armor looked like an orange. Link and the others laughed as he fell to his knees in horror.

"And finally, O-five-six-zero-zero, Lincoln Henderson."

"Right here."

Link raised his left hand and waved to Johan.

"Yes, yes, I can see you. Jesus, what do these kids [muddling]…"

Johan walked over to Link and grabbed his shoulder after he finished mumbling to himself.

"You get this armor."

The armor that came out for Link was terrific. Meant specifically for a medic. It had many different compartments that already had a med-scanner in it, an array of smaller pockets for pills that adorned the chest, and a large pack on the back for supplies. It had green as its secondary color, Links favorite color. The forearm, like all the others had a shield like pad on the side that was an odd feature. But he didn't mind, it looked awesome. It had the logo of the unit on it. The helmet was similar to the ODST helmet but it had an outward visor that had three lines across it that had no symmetry. But it resembled the Mjolnir armor so much, the chest was almost the same and the under suit had the same features as the suit of the Spartans. It made Link and the others, except for Kenny, extremely happy.

"So how do ya'll feel?"

It took the group some time to get the suits on, but they fit perfectly. Link searched the suit, the visor had a similar hub to the ODST helmet and it was easy t get used to.

"Great sir!"

Gem replied as she felt the inside of her armor contour to her curves. Link couldn't help but blush.

"Alright, let me explain to you a few things. It won't take long, but it's important. Okay, you can use your shields like an actual shield. See that pad on your right arm? That will generate the shielding so you can use it like an actual shield. Like how you're training was like with those wooden shields."

"Oh, so what's why we're training with those things."

Kenny came to the realization way after everyone else did.

"Your visor can retract similar to a camera lens, try it out. Just press that small switch on your arm next to you shield pad, it will retract the visor."

Derrick searched his forearm and found the switch. It wasn't really a switch, but more of a touch pad. With a slight press the visor reticulated open like a window shade.

"Whoa! That's cool."

Derrick was impressed by this tech, and decided to explore the suit more.

"There are many features of these suits, but as of right now, I can't explain. You're being hailed to the combat deck. Apparently its time for you to mobilize."

The group stopped investigating their armor. They had hardly tested out their suits and they were being mobilized? That didn't sound right. Link thought.

"Johan, you read me?"

Halsey's voice came over the intercom.

"Yes. What do you need?"

"We need those agents to the transport hub ASAP. Agents, I'm sorry that I had to cut the training even shorter than expected. The Innies are getting restless and they need to be put down."

Link was surprised and looked at Gem. Her visor reflected the light and it glowed around her in an angelic way.

"What about the others ma'am?"

Derrick asked confused.

"You will gather on the planets surface. I also do apologize; you are not going to get your Cerberus partner until after this mission."

"It's fine."

Derrick responded.

"Alright agents, take off your training wheels!"

END

A/N: Oh my god, im beat people. This chapter was tough to write. I didn't really have a good idea on how the training would go but I got a good idea on how to do it so yeah. :P This is going to get crazy next chapter. The first battle the group will fight in is coming! READY TO DROP. :3 But that is all for today. Oh, just as an FYI, I will be late on my next chapter. My sister came home from college and I have to spend time with her or else she will kill me. Seriously. :x Ok Bear Cubs! Check you next chapter! :D

Casey (Bearmaster)


	6. Ch 6 Part 1: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Combat, Love it or Hate it ~ Part 1

Date: 2523 January 19, 2000 Hours

Location: Slip Space ~ Approaching New Jerusalem

The ship was silent. Slip space was an odd form of travel, considering how the ship goes into a different realm of space, but it got humanity from A to B. All that could be heard was the movement of the people on board the ship. Marines scuttling back and forth, engineers loading the tanks full of ammunition, and the sounds of the machinery creaking as the ship glided through the realm of nothing.

The ship the group was stationed on was one of the largest ships of the entire fleet. It was a Phoenix class ship known as the UNSC _Definer_, a mass of metal, manpower, and sheer weaponry prowess. Link was puzzled at the choice of the ship. The Insurrection wasn't worth sending such a devastating ship, especially the Definer. It was one of the many prides of the navy and trillions of credits were used to make it. The sheer shadow produced by it could block out the sun. The Innes weren't worth breaking its combat _cherry_, but the brass didn't care. The Innies gained so much power on the colony that it would hurt the careers of ONI fat cats who only cared about keeping their plush positions. Returning New Jerusalem for them was just a political action, but for the marines, IRC agents, civilians, Spartans, and other people who cared for the welfare of the people saw this as an act of retaliation against an enemy with no moral limitations. It was a chance to shake the Innies to their cores.

Link sat in the combat training room with the others; adorned with their armor they barely had knowledge of, except for the fact that it was extremely lightweight. Kenny sat playing with his visor, opening and closing the sliding glass. Gem sat loading clips for the guns. But Link noticed that they weren't normal clips for MA37 Assault Rifles or DMRs, and decided to investigate.

"Hey, Gem. What ya doing?"

Gem darted her head up and gave Link a big smile.

"Oh, nothing, just getting ready for the mission."

"What are those guns your preparing? I don't recognize them."

Gem cocked an eyebrow.

"These are the standard issue M-E-Five-Five Javelin rifles. You weren't briefed on them?"

Link shook his head. Gem sighed and lifted up the gun.

"You didn't learn anything about this weapon?"

"Nope!"

Link answered innocently.

"What weapons were you briefed with?"

"I know how to use the Assault Rifle, DMR, rocket launcher, and pistol, pretty much the guns of an ODST. But I haven't seen…"

Link looked on the table and saw many different trinkets that he had no idea what they were.

"Okay, well this one is a Javelin rifle. It shoots small darts about the size of sub-machinegun bullets. It's a top load gun."

Gem took the clip that she finished loading and flipped it upside down and pushed it into the clip intake. She then pulled a nub on the side and turned on the bullet gauge, which was right next to the clip. The gun was a very odd shape compared to the other UNSC weapons used. It bared no resemblance to any other guns, a completely unique weapon.

"It has a fifty round clip, and it is completely silent. It doesn't use black powder like the other guns we use, but it has a similar firing mechanism to the MAC cannons. It uses magnetic energy and air to propel the dart foreword at either lethal or non-lethal velocity. You wanna try it out on the range?"

Link shook his head and took the rifle. It was surprisingly light and it felt like plastic, but it was anything but plastic. The clip was bulky but didn't get in the way of the sight. The blue light of the bullet gauge showed the bullet amount, a compass, which wasn't activated, and a target locator.

Link positioned himself at the range's medium range bunker. The fact that the ship had its own shooting range made Link ponder its size again. Link took out the clip and investigated the loading system. It was defiantly new but why make a new gun that resembled nothing of the original weapons used? The Javelin rifle was stocky and the barrel was very short, almost like it was made for a smaller individual. Link just shook off the questions examined the gun more. Its loading was simple and almost fluid. The cocking mechanism was smooth, and it needed little force to pull it back.

Aiming down range was simplistic and the targets were funny in how they were Plexiglas cutouts of what seemed to be Innie foot soldiers. With a quick double take, Link pulled the trigger and shot a burst of ten rounds into the target. All of the bullets hit their mark and Link lowed the gun to his side.

Remarkable, Link though. Absolutely no kick back, no noise, and quick firing were a huge difference to the bulky assault rifle. Link walked back to Gem and gave her the rifle back. Gem looked at Link with satisfaction.

"So, how'd she treat ya?"

Link just looked at the gun and back at Gem.

"I think I'm in love."

Gem giggled and Link joined her to cover the fact that he was serious.

"So now I'm going to show you a must have, its called the O-I-four-two Jackal Riot Subduer."

She reached over the table and grabbed a small black handle that seemed to be nothing more than a grip. Link tilted his head, obviously confused.

"What does _it_ do?"

Gem smirked at Link menacingly. With a hard flick of her wrist, the handle extended to three feet long and two sharp spearheads stuck out from the front. It was the discipline prod the trainers used against the trainees except longer and had stabbing abilities.

"When engaged by the Innies, we are to use how ever lethal force we see fit. This riot control device and produce an electrical stun equivalent to touching a car battery to touching an electrical socket. It can fry people to either an incapacitated state, or it can kill them by sending so much electricity into their body to stop their heart. The weapon gains the electricity from the suit, so if a normal person uses it, it won't work. Not to mention the sharp heads on these things, they can be used as a spear to stab Innies in close combat. Imagine stabbing someone with this thing then stunning him or her to death? I think it's brutal as hell but awesome at the same time."

Link grasped the handle and shook his head in happiness.

"Just squeeze the handle and it can produce the shock by how much force you use."

Just as Gem said that, a Marine private walked by. Link then had a sadistic thought and smiled at Gem. She nodded her head in approval. Link squeezed the handle and saw a blue wave of electricity spark between the spearheads. Link approached the marine as he walked, unknowing to the situation about to unfold. Link then realized that he didn't want to stab the guy, so he reached out to retract the spearheads manually, but forgot to release the handle. Right as the tip of his finger came into contact with the sharp edge of the device, Link could feel a surge of energy course though his body and it really wasn't a good feeling. The few moments he could remain sanding felt like a thousand birds were pecking him at once all over his body. Then darkness.

Links eyes opened to see that he was on the ground. Link had fallen to his side with the weapon in his left hand. His right arm squashed between himself and the floor. The sensation of pins and needles were tingling his legs and other arm. Sight was limited but he could see a figure on the floor as well moving erratically. Slowly, his sight focused to see Gem on the ground laughing hysterically and the other marine who was going to be on the receiving end of the weapon was standing over Link in confusion.

Link sat up and rubbed his forehead with his palm, trying not to embrace himself anymore than he had already. The marine held out his hand.

"Are you okay sir?"

Link just sat looking at his hand, feeling like the marine was mocking him, and grabbed the stunner. Link then poked the marine's hand with the stunner, instantly sending the marine to the floor, twitching from the jolt that had just surged through his nervous system. Link stood, but his muscles were uneasy from the shock and he felt like jelly. Link stumbled over to Gem, still on the floor gaining her breath from laughing so hard.

"Oh my god, that was hysterical! Why would you do that to yourself Link!"

Link just slammed the prod on the table and crossed his arms. Embarrassed, he sat on the table and sulked. Gem's laughter slowed so that she could talk.

"Well, you know what it does. Those are the weapons that we will be using."

Link rubbed his hair as he could feel his scalp smoldering from the electricity.

"Yeah, I wonder how the Innies will like it."

Link smiled to himself.

"I know man!"

Kenny stood still switching his visor on and off. Link could tell he was amused by it too much.

"I want to test these things on someone! I know how it feels to be on the receiving end, and I want to inflict some pain!"

Kenny swung into a heroic pose and clenched his fist up to his face, his fist white as he tightened it with perseverance. But the way he did it was not just joking. The way his face was showed his serious side. His eyebrows instead of his animated elevated angel were completely level with his eyes. And the expression on his lips was not smiling or smirking, but a slight frown. Almost as if he was thinking about something particular, something that made him want vengeance.

Derrick was looking at his forearm as he sat at the opposite end of the training area on a large observation window with one leg propped on the ledge and the other dangling; very Huckleberry Finn-esk. The SCCD device shimmered bright blue light as the ticker repeated updates on all activities of the IRC. He examined it, reviewed its features, but their was something different in the way he looked lately. He looked much more serious. Not his usual bright-eyed and dumb self. What went through his mind was pride of himself. He had succeeded in his goal to be the best agent of the IRC, or at least one of the best. But something lingered. Doubt, anxiety, and fear rampaged through the now modified brain of his. Those feelings weren't for him though, it was for his team. Losing one of his new brothers or sisters would be devastating. What they had gone through together was a lot and the connections he made with the unit were so strong, they had become his new family. So, he made a promise to himself in the folds of his mind, where no one else but himself could hear. _Nothing will happen to my family. Nothing.  
_

Two Hours Later

Location: Slip Space, ETA ~ 10 Minutes to New Harmony

"Getting into the fight a little late I would say, Noobs. The rest of your squad has already hit the planet's surface."

A very familiar yet horrifying figure stood in front of the mission-briefing hall. Johan was standing next to a control podium, holding a large mallet, and wearing his killer smile. But as a fugitive of the UNSC, he wasn't allowed to wear his Spartan classified armor. Which was a shock for the group when they saw him wearing his customized Mjolnir armor, colored blue with red details. The armor showed sings of age with many scratches, burn scars, and dents.

"Sir, I thought that after your incarceration, you were stripped of your armor?"

Johan glanced at Derrick with cold eyes. It sent shivers down his spine.

"Well, my little nosy Captain. Since this operation is classified as high risk, a Spartan is needed to assist you when you get planet side. I'm the only one in the region so they let me in my skin again. It feels so good."

Johan cracked his neck and sighed in ecstasy. Needless to say, it made everyone uncomfortable.

"Okay, back to business, once we exit Slip Space, we will be right above New Jerusalem. Now, it seems that most of the UNSC blockade has engaged the Innies in planetary orbit, so we will be entering the fray. This beast can take a lot of damage, so what we are planning is to distract them with our main guns as we drop you into uncontrolled territory."

Kenny stood and interrupted Johan.

"I have a question, why don't we drop directly in front of the Capitol?"

"The anti-air defenses are very strong, they've had time to prepare for this. So we need you to be dropped a somewhat safe distance away. As we take the fire from the main guns, we will drop you in a heavy armored pelican to ran-de-vu with the other IRC agents. We aren't sure what has happened to them, the Innies are using some kind of communications jamming device."

"After we meet up with the others, then what?"

Derrick asked politely as Johan finished.

"Thank you for not interrupting me by the way. I hate it when people do that."

Johan darted his eyes to Kenny. He could feel the seat becoming enveloping as he sank into its cushions.

"After you meet up with the others, you will gather munitions drops that were scattered during the initial invasion. They were dropped here, here, and here."

Johan pointed with his mallet to the holo-screen to three locations that were just a mile away from the capitol building. The spots were covered in trees, a forest which has been rushing the civilization threatening to take it over. The spots were highlighted with blue circles, but the satellite images showed the crash site in detail. Each pelican was shot down with heavy anti-air cannons, and the armor was showing the damage. The first pelican landed the furthest away, meaning that it was the first shot down because they were approaching the capitol as a Shock-and-Aw campaign. The other two were in different directions, meaning some kind of surprise attack took the group by surprise, causing the remaining two ships to split up. As they tried to make their way to safety, they too were brought down with armor piercing rounds. No one survived the ambush.

Gem looked in horror as bodies from the pelicans were being dragged away by the Innies and stripped of all weapons, armor, and munitions. The cargo on the other hand, was in secured crates that looked like normal food supplies. So they didn't go after it immediately. That was the objective. Recapture the crates before they fall into the Innies hands and then use the munitions to retake control of the colony.

"Seems easy enough. How long will the mission take?"

Link asked with a skeptical tone. Johan was dreading this question.

"Well, it will take as long as you need. But we are looking at a time frame of six weeks. The maximum time to take on this mission is seven weeks. "

"What? Why that long?"

Kenny stood in his seat.

"We aren't expecting you to be elite soldier yet. This is a mission to get your feet wet. Trust me. This mission will need all of your attention and focus. It will show how you really fight in true situations of battle. We are not expecting many of you to come back, but the ones that do will be stronger, faster, smarter, and better."

Link adjusted himself in his seat while Derrick rubbed his palm, anxiety rushed through his veins.

"Do we know the current status of the other agents?"

Johan swiped his hand on the holo-screen, moving the map east from the locations of the downed pelicans. The map slowed to a manufacturing district, the live feed showed a conflict taking place between two sides, one inside of a factory that seemed to be a chemical plant, and the others coming from the forest, assaulting the factory in huge numbers. The satellite image produced something that looked like a mass of ants storming an enemy hill. But it seemed that the people in the factory were putting up a hard fight.

"See that factory?"

The group nodded their heads.

"Marines, agents, and civilians have taken refuge in its hard walls. It's a fortress that seems to be holding up pretty well, but it wont last forever. When we drop you, you'll need to regroup with them. That's objective one. Then it's to recapture the munitions, and finally, you need to take out the capitol to regain control. That is all. I will come with you to keep an eye on you. Got it?"

"Yes sir!"

The group replied as they stood in unison, saluting the superior officer. A sudden lurch foreword signified the exit of Slip Space. Johan didn't even budge.

"Well, lets drop into the abyss. Oh, and when the seven-week period is up, the UNSC is going to level the entire surface with orbital strike platforms. So please, get the job done quickly."

One hour later after exit of Slip Space

Location: Entering New Jerusalem orbit

Link sat in the pelican seat. His suit drowned out the sounds of the bustling cargo hold. The suit felt like a glove but his skin felt otherwise. Ever since the surgery, his body was different. Muscles and mind. But even the marines, the people who should understand the agents the most, looked at Link and the others like monsters. It hurt him inside, but he knew he would need to overcome those feeling to complete the mission. But he couldn't help seeing the marines sitting across from him glaring angrily for no reason.

The pelican hummed as the engines fired. It was only a matter of time before the cargo door slammed open and the sudden loss of gravity would drag them to the surface of the planet.

"Okay here people! We're gonna take this pelican down and land near the manufacturing district. Five other pelicans are gonna come with us with some back up. The Definer will take the fire from the anti-air placements. Got that?"

Johan beat on the cockpit door, signaling to the pilot that it was time to go and then gave thumbs up to the group. His voice echoed in the intercom and the four nodded in response. The other drop ships began to fill up with marines and ODSTs, and one pelican attached a M808 Main Battle Tank to the underside of it. It was an invasion force.

"Sir, how much defenses are we thinking are against us?"

Link asked, almost expecting a fallow up question.

"We don't know yet. But we're about to find out."

The pelican was released from its cables and the thrusters kept it from hitting the floor. But the main ship was starting to hit the planets real gravity, so the crew in the hanger started to tilt with the new gravity.

"Alright! We're off!"

Johan roared as the door to the passenger hold of the pelican slammed shut. A marine sitting across from Gem jumped as the pressure configured to normal levels, and he grabbed the handle next to his seat. Gripping it with immense force. The small window on the door was just wide enough to see out of and it Link stood to see what was happening outside. The pilot stuck his head out of the cockpit and tapped his COM device on his helmet.

"Hey man, you need to sit down, it's going to be a hectic ride."

Link swatted at the pilot, signaling that he would take his chances standing.

"Okay, buddy. Your funeral."

Link watched as the rest of the marines either entered a pelican or sprint into a secured bunker. Link tilted his head, confused on why everyone was leaving in such a hurry. But he soon realized why. The floor of the cargo bay began to vibrate and with a jerk it spilt in two and the air was sucked out instantly. The pilot stuck his head out of the cockpit again and aggressively waved at Link.

"Okay, I demand you sit down! I don't want anyone yelling at me cause you died from breaking your fuckin neck! We're dropping in five, four…"

The pilot started the last countdown and Link quickly went back to his seat and strapped himself in. Link placed his head on the side of the hull, and he concentrated on focusing on the slightly visible red cross on the front of his visor. Although the cross could be seen perfectly from the outside, which it stretched from the top of the visor to the sides, it was see-through on the front. A slight discoloration could be seen on the inner visor.

"Three. Two. One."

The pilot said as the pelican went into free fall. Derrick, with his small body structure, levitated off of his seat as the pelican descended into New Jerusalem's atmosphere.

"Shi-!"

Kenny yelled as the pelican began receiving massive amounts of g-forces. The ship clanged and buckled under the strength of the planets heavy clouds and storms. But this was normal, seeing as though New Jerusalem had a very heavy atmosphere.

"Okay! The Definer is right behind us; the anti-air cannons have started their abuse."

Link could hear pops around his head; those were the cannons searching for the invasion force. The Innies were flacking the entire sky and through the back window and the flashes of reds and yellows filled the skies. Although the Definer, the massive ship, was taking the majority of the flack, a stray round would shack the hulls of the pelicans. It was a horrifying experience. It only made it worse with the pilot suddenly jerking the controls.

"Ah, fuck! They spotted us! Prepare for a fast drop!"

The thrusters blared and the people in their seats jumped as the speed of their decent increased dramatically.

"What's going on? What's with the change of course?"

Johan got up and struggled to walk to the cockpit.

"Get buckled up! The Innies spotted us and are coming after us!"

Right as the pilot finished talking, the same red and yellow flashes that Link saw before became much louder. The flack beat the pelicans back and fourth and shrapnel slashed and pierced the sides of the armor.

"I-nine, evade! I say again evade!"

The pilot screamed over the intercom, but his advice went unnoticed as one of the following pelicans was slammed with a high matter anti aircraft round. It sliced through the glass of its cockpit and exploded with extreme force as the pilot was ripped to pieces by shrapnel. The pelican lost control and swerved into the drop ship with the tank and detonated with a supernova like explosion. The tank was released and it dropped into the forestation below.

"HOLLY SHIT!"

Link screamed out as he saw the whole event unfold in front of him. But it wasn't even close to over yet. A SAM missile raced behind the ship and Link saw it approaching fast.

"Uh, pilot, a missile is fallowing us!"

The pilot banked a hard left to avoid the missile, but the missile was fast and followed the attempted dodge. The entire group in the pelican fallowed the missile as it approached the ship inch by inch.

"Damn it, get that missile off of us!"

Johan yelled at the pilot, with a tense voice.

"To late!"

The pilot said as the missile collided with the right rear engine, forcing the craft to spin to the left with a lot of gusto. Kenny started to scream in terror as the pilot tired to regain control.

"Fuck, no!"

The pilot knew the control was lost. But the cannons on the ground saw the pelican spiraling out of control and like a lion stalking its pray, went after it in force. The three barrels on the heavy AA turrets on the ground began to blast at the pelican, ripping into the armor like a knife through butter. The glass of the cockpit shattered, spraying the pilot with super heated glass and metal. His screams were loud enough to hear over the deactivated intercom and Link knew that the situation was going to get much worse. Johan stood again and ripped off the panel controlling the back door, rewiring the circuits.

"Okay noobs! You're about to learn another feature about you armor right now! Its called armor lock, when this door opens, we are going to fall one thousand feet. Locking your armor will protect you from falling to your death. The neural transponders will activate your armor, so just think of locking your armor and just fall. Got it!"

The group nodded without question.

"Wait, Johan! What about the others!"

Kenny and Derrick looked at the marines sitting across from them, scared to death by the events happening. Johan looked at the marines out of the corner of his eyes, and went back to wiring the door.

"There is nothing we can do."

Those words punctured Link like nothing he had ever felt before and the faces of the marines imbedded themselves in his mind. No, he thought. He wouldn't let more faces cause him any more pain. He wouldn't let them die.

"Sir, I have an idea."

Link stood and unbuckled the first marine and held him by the collar.

"Listen to me marine! If you want to survive, you'll need to trust me okay?"

The marine looked into Links visor, the red cross gave him a little extra comfort. The marine nodded his head and Link turned him around, wrapping his arms around the marine's chest.

"Open the door, sir! Ill be the first one out!"

Johan glanced at Link holding the marine and a spark flew from the panel. The door opened slowly and the air inside the cargo bay rushed out. Link waddled to the opening and stood on the edge and the marine started to struggle in protest. The ominous drop gave Link shivers, but he thought it through and knew it must be done.

"Follow my lead."

Gem watched Link step over the edge and her heart jumped as Link fell out of the cargo bay and into darkness. It was time for them to drop into hell.

END

A/N: Okay, this was chapter is just one of I have no idea how many parts to the IRC's first mission. So far it was really intense. I'm pretty proud of it as of right now, but it would be awesome to get some feedback. ^u^ So yeah, its gonna get really crazy in the next chapters. Thanks again for readin my little cubs, and remember, comment plz! :3

Casey (Bearmaster)


	7. Ch 6 Part 2: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rate M (Language, etc)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Combat, Love it or Hate it ~ Part 2

Date: Unknown

Location: Unknown

"Ship Mistress, we have detected odd signatures on the planet's surface."

A large creature, adorned with fur and armor kneeled with his head hung low. The beast had gray skin that reflected the incandescent light coming from the center of the room and its armor covered a half of its body. The creature had a large black sledgehammer on its back, which disturbed the space around it, like a water drop falling into a pond. On its side was a small metallic object that glowed in the dark a florescent green. The creatures face looked oddly like a primate, large features like an elongated snout and sharp canine teeth that protruded past the upper and lower lips. But the most noticeable feature was its eyes, small yet intense. They radiated a dark blue, with a rim of purple around the edges.

"Do we know what it is, Ollupo?"

A higher voice broke the silence that filled the room. This creature was evidently the leader, since the other one was kneeling to its command. This other creature sat in a chair that had no similarities to human seats, seeing that it levitated off the ground. It had its back turned and didn't bother to turn around, keeping its identity a clandestine knowledge. The window the creature sat in front of had a magnificent view, a cluster of purple and blue and pink vessels traveled at high speeds, back and forth past a larger superstructure that seemed to be the hub of the ships.

"We don't know yet."

The large creature got off the floor and patted his chest, sending loose hair out into the room. The creature stood at eight feet tall and its muscular structure was massive.

"Shall I send an investigation party, Ship Mistress?"

"No, we must tell this to the High Council and Hierarchs. They will have better judgment and wisdom to handle this situation."

The furry creature bowed his head and began to walk towards the door.

"As you wish."

The door slid open in front of the beast and it disappeared as the door glided back to a shut position. The chair that the leader was sitting on turned slowly around and revealed another large creature. But this one was hairless and had a golden shimmering armor. Its body structure was odd. It had two reversed knees that made a horse-like leg structure. Its arms were long and the hands were even stranger, as they had four fingers, two of them on each end being thumbs. The body of the creature was without a doubt a woman's physique, slender yet muscular. On her thigh, was a nub that had etchings of some ancient language on it. She held her head up on her hands, thinking of what was to come next. She didn't like the Hierarchs but didn't want to become a Heretic, so she had to cooperate with them and it almost made her vomit thinking of the Hierarchs as _wise._ It made her stomach turn thinking about what they had done to her people, threatening and forcing them into some sort of covenant many lifetimes before. But she sore to herself that she would make it right.

"My people deserve better. I will provide them with they need."

The woman told herself as she took the nub off her hip. She looked at it for a moment before flicking her wrist. A loud clash sound came from the nub as blue curved blades rose from its base. She held it up to her face and looked through the vacant area between the two blades, her mandibles tight in a form of anger. Her vivacious white eyes reflected the blue glow of the sword as she glared angrily at the doorway. Just waiting for some unfortunate Kig-yar or Unggoy to wander into the room, where she then plotted out a sequence in her mind on how she would kill the creature in cold blood, slicing its skin like paper. But as she contemplated those thoughts, she knew that the Hierarchs were already questioning her authority. So, for now, she would watch her steps. Plan everything accordingly. Waiting for the right time to pounce.

Location: New Jerusalem ~ approaching plane's surface at terminal velocity

Operation In Progress: _The New Crusade Campaign_

Link felt the air rushing past his head and it was only a matter of time before him and his marine package would smash into the ground. Falling was a sensation Link had gotten used to. But it was different now that there wasn't a pod to be falling in.

Link looked down and saw that the ground was only seconds away, and the impact was going to be huge. So Link turned himself onto his back, with the marine gripping to his chest. He wasn't going to let anyone else die under his command. He braced himself.

"Okay! Here we go!"

Link squeezed his eyes shut, wrapping his arms around the marine like a child and repeated the two words that he hoped to save him and the marine from dying a dismembering death. _ARMOR LOCK!_

The two smashed into the ground, sending bits of trees and rocks and dirt everywhere. The impact was so large, that it made a small crater as the flesh and metal comet shredded the forest floor. After the dust cleared, it was visible that the impact ravaged the area, trees were broken in two, rocks were disturbed from their resting places, and the large divot in the ground looked as if a fire had raged through.

Link slowly opened his eyes. Did it work? He though. A loud beeping sound was going off in his ear, and he could see on his hub that his shields were completely diminished, but his armor was only at four percent damage level. He took a deep breath in relief, knowing that he had made it and that the Armor Lock and gel layer of the suit had done their job perfectly. But what about the marine? Link lifted his upper body off the ground, propping his chest up with his arms and looked at his chest. The marine was gone.

"Shit."

Link said as his mind went for the worst possible outcome. But he knew that there was defiantly a chance that he could still be alive. After resting for a couple of minutes, Link got to his feet, brushing off the twigs and small rocks that had attached themselves to the suit on impact. He investigated the area, seeing the damage he had done.

"Wow."

There wasn't much to say than that. Link had no idea that the suit had those kinds of capabilities, but he sure was glad they did. The red and yellow flashes still filled the sky and the outline of the Definer could be seen as it was still taking massive fire from the anti-air cannons, but where was the invasion party? And what happened to the others? Link thought to himself with a deep rooted fear in his mind. The comms were down because of the jamming device so trying to contact them was not going to work. Link patted his body to see if he lost any supplies on impact, maybe a container of bio-foam came out when skidding across the forest floor, but it was all there.

"Marines! Sound off!"

Link yelled into the forest as tried to catch his breath; suddenly remembering his training that he must keep quiet in hostile territory. If he was going to find anyone, he would need to do silently and stealthy. So Link began to backtrack his fall until he would find the marine, and from there he would try to ran-de-vu with the other agents at the chemical plant. He knew that if he was in the others position, the mission would take priority so they would be going to the ran-de-vu point. It was his best bet in finding the others. But it wasn't looking to good, as he found pieces of metal from the pelican scattered among the broken forest debris. Link picked up a piece of the armor that had landed and it still smoldered from getting pounded by flack rounds. Link was anything but religious, but he found himself praying for the first time in that dark and dank forest.

20 minutes after jumping

"Dear fucking god!"

Gem rolled on the ground with the wind knocked out of her. Unlike Link, she and the others landed in a clearing in the forest. But it was remarkable; Derrick, Kenny, Johan, and the marines were fine! Gem thought to herself. The marine she took was clinging to her chest plate and quivering franticly. His eyes were stuck open wide. Gem grabbed his hand which seemed too had almost fused with her armor.

"Hey, you okay marine?"

The marine on her chest darted his focus to her visor, and with the best of his efforts nodded his head.

"Good. Now you can get off me."

Gem rolled him off of her and stood, stretching from the initial impact. She looked around, trying to see if she could spot Link. Kenny was on the ground, about to vomit from the tremendous action they had just done. Derrick was already up and trying to reestablish communications with Link, but found that the jammer was too strong. In this case, Derrick was thinking that the mission must be done and Link was a secondary objective. Johan had his helmet off, smoking a cigarette and had a look of anguish on his face. He didn't like to see marines die, and he was disturbed by the pilots death, burned slowly by molten glass and metal then roasted by the pelican's destruction. It made him sick to his stomach. Not to mention the other marines on the other pelicans. At least they died instantly, he thought.

Derrick saw that everyone was somewhat physically fine, which was a relief, but he needed to find everyone. Link was somewhere and he needed to find him before it was too late, but the mission was to come first.

"Alright, we need to move out!"

Derrick gave his command, but no one responded.

"Agents, I didn't stutter!"

Gem retracted her visor and looked at him with sheer disbelief.

"Damn man, can you tell that we aren't in fighting shape?"

"We need to move now, Gem. We need to ran-de-vu with the other agents."

Kenny worked himself off the ground and wiped his lips.

"What about Link? We're not going to leave him, are we?"

Derrick rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"We have to think of the mission at hand, if we can find him we will. But he knows just like any of us that the mission comes first."

Gem tightened her fist and gritted her teeth, but she knew that Derrick was right. It distressed her that she had to leave Link behind, but it had to be done. The thought of loosing Link to her was unbearable and for that reason, she despised Derrick.

"Can we at least rest for the night; these marines aren't in a good mental status and need to rest. We can go after we get some sleep."

The stare down between Gem and Derrick was intense and the others could feel its powerful force. Derrick eventually let up.

"Fine, we can rest. But we need to get to that ran-de-vu by tomorrow. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

The group responded with little energy as they started to make a camp with what they could find. Johan said nothing as he pondered the situation. Derrick was more than pissed by the events of the attempted invasion and he wanted answers.

"Johan, how did the Innies get weapons like that?"

Johan took a deep breath of cigarette smoke and slowly let it escape his mouth.

"I have no idea. They must have some sort of supplier. But we weren't expecting this much resistance."

"Oh really?"

Derrick raised his voice at Johan. Johan turned his head and looked confused.

"Yeah, kid. What else is there to tell you?"

Johan flicked his cigarette to the ground and stomped on its blazing remains.

"How come the recon didn't pick up any of these new weapons? That was falsie work that just got twenty-plus marines killed!"

"What, do you think I like letting marines die? I most certainly don't!"

Johan loomed over Derrick and his size overshadowed Derricks small frame.

"I just want to know the truth."

"Well kid, you know what I know."

Johan crossed his arms and stood on a slant. He didn't know anything else and Derrick knew it.

"Okay, I apologize for yelling at you. I'm just…"

Derrick started to breath heavily and pace back and forth.

"Hey-hey-hey, don't worry about this. You had no idea that those cannons were waiting for us. Its not your fault for what happened and I'm sure that Lincoln will be fine as well, I mean, the guy has balls for jumping out of the pelican first. But right now, our men are hurt, tired, and need to rest."

Derrick stopped pacing and tired to hold back his building anxiety from showing on his face. Derrick contemplated what happened, what was going to happen. The thoughts of him not being ready crept back into his head in his frail mental state. He needed to rest just as much as the others. So he sat down, putting his back against a broken tree. Its soft mossy cushion helped relieve some of his tension. Although the helmet was comfortable, derrick didn't feel like wearing it anymore for the night, so he took it off and placed it gently next to him, looking at its yellow details. Derrick then placed his unprotected head on the mossy tree and let himself slowly drift into the realm of sleep. He didn't want to admit it, but he was exhausted.

Time: 0700, Sunrise

Link spent the entire night looking for his marine package. But to no avail, he couldn't find him. Link searched everywhere, under trees that had fallen, under rocks, and he even sent out an IFF signal locator, but it didn't work either. It was hopeless, Link thought. No matter what he tried to do, people he helped would die anyway. What was his worth if a medic killed everyone who he helped?

Right as Link said that, he sat down on the soft forest floor. Letting the strong morning sun hit his back. He retracted his visor and took a deep breath of the unfiltered pure air that the forest provided. It helped slightly, but it wouldn't fix the issues at hand. Link just sat there for an hour, staring emptily at the ground as the shadows of the trees made their shapes known. Link's eye was caught by a moving tree's shadow. Its gentle swaying calmed Link. He investigated the shadow, and decided to see what he could make out of the shadow. The tree was tall, at least forty feet. It was a bushy tree, large and round at the top, but the green leafs were spaced out sparsely. The inner area of the tree was made up of many thin trunks and branches that seemed to make on massive labyrinth of wood and growth. Then, something caught Links eye again. A figure within the tree, its shadow blended into the shadow of the tree and Link looked it over until then.

Feeling like he had just got a grace from god, Link sprang up off the ground and turned toward the tree. Link investigated the tree and found the source of the shadow. A weight felt like it was pulled off his shoulders when he saw the marine, caught in many vines and branches, dangling safely from falling to his death. Link put it all together now. The marine must have slipped out of his arms during the fall and landed in the tree, and smacked his head making him go unconscious. A trickle of blood was running off his forehead to prove his theory. But he was still alive, from what the IFF said. But he was injured, so Link would have to help him.

After about two hours of climbing the tree, cutting the man out of the vines, and lowering him onto the forest floor, Link felt like he was blessed. The marine went in and out of consciousness, only to say mumbled things or to groan in pain before drifting off again. Link laid the injured fighter on the soft ground and put him in a sleeping position. The only way to save him was to provide medical attention ASAP. So Link decided to take the procedure step by step.

First, the man's head was bleeding under his helmet and it needed to be dealt with. Link pulled his helmet off to reveal a gash that had pierced his helmet and gouged a deep cut in his head. It wasn't fatal, but it must have hurt. There were also many large bruises and swollen lumps on his scalp, indicating a rough fall. If it wasn't for his helmet, Link would have a pulpy mess to clean up. So Link got out his field operating kit which was attached to his lower back. He unzipped it and searched the many items that were inside until he found a anti-septic kit and gauze. Link also pulled out a medi-grade sewing kit. The laceration on his scalp would be first to be taken care of. Link wiped the cut that was filled with dirt and wood chips out with rubbing alcohol before wiping it with the medical gauze to remove any debris. When it was clean, Link took out a small vial of bio-foam and put a small line going all the way across the length of the wound. After spreading the bio-foam with the gauze, he started to sew the gash.

As Link patched the marine up like a used toy with the stuffing falling out of it, he recalled the thoughts he had from before. Maybe he was worth something. Maybe he would be worth something.

The patch job was simple and it only took five stitches to close the wound. Link then placed some gauze around the marines head to cover the opening from airborne bacteria. That finished the job without any problems. A simple operation. But as Link finished the marines busted up head, he realized his work was going to get much more intense as he saw the marines left femur had broke during the fall. The bon had cracked in two and the lower part of the cracked bone had ripped through the skin and pants to reveal a harsh wound, blood and torn muscle exposed to the air. Link felt lie vomiting from the sight. He had never dealt with an injury like that before, although he was trained to fix them.

Link swallowed his fear and decided to deal with the leg next. He took the marines pants and tore a bigger hole in them to gain access to the wound. Lucky, it had not gotten infected yet, so it would be somewhat easier to take care of. Link searched his kit again and pulled out the IIRK, Intensive Injury Repair Kit. It had supplies to fix the bone, and Link slowly began the operation in the middle of the day as the bright sunlight warmed his back.

Time: 1300, Day

Gem was working on her rifle, which had broken on initial drop. She was also fixing the other tech that had broken on the drop. Derrick was back to working on his SCCD, trying to call the UNSC for back-up, but to no success. Kenny was helping the marines get ready to move as they were in a bad mental state even after sleeping. Johan was watching the group as they went about their business. But he wanted to finish the training the agents missed, so Johan walked into the center of the _camp_ and whistled to the group.

"Okay noobs. I know we have had a rough time so far, but we need to focus on what we need to do. Got it?"

The agents walked to Johan, nodding their heads.

"I want to train you a little more before we dive in head first into Innie territory. First. Your shields."

Johan pointed to Kenny, signaling to walk up to him. Reluctantly, Kenny walk next to Johan.

"Your shields are your life. The metal of your armor is tough, but your shields protect you at all times. Watch."

Johan pulled his pistol from the magnetic _holster_ on his hip. It was a default UNSC marine's pistol, and put it next to Kenny's head. Kenny threw up his arms as he saw the gun now on eye level with him. Johan then pulled the trigger and the bullet bounced off Kenny's shields, making the shields light up bright yellow with the bullet lodging itself in the ground. Kenny stood with his arms still up, freaked out.

"See. Your shields protect you. But eventually if hit enough times, they will diminish and need time to recharge."

Kenny started to run away, thinking that Johan wanted to lower his shield all the way.

"Don't worry kid; I wasn't going to show that."

Gem and Derrick laughed to themselves.

"Okay. So this is the next thing about your shields. You can make an actual shield on your left arm. See that pad?"

The group looked at the smooth and curved plate on their arms. It didn't look like much, and it only looked like supplemental forearm guards. They weren't big, but they covered much of the forearm. They weren't thick either. Extremely light weight.

"Now what you can do, is that pad will take the shields on you armor and project it like a riot shield. That is what Halsey was going for when making the armor. You activate it by placing your arm out like this."

Johan put his left arm out in front of his chest. As if he was holding an invisible coat.

"Since I don't have that feature on my armor, I need one of you to come up here. Derrick, come up please."

Derrick walked up to Johan, his arm still stuck out in the air. Johan pointed to a small button on the palm of the hand. No one noticed it because of its size. It looked as if a circular flat battery was imbedded in the under suit.

"Now, what you want to do is curl your middle finger around and push it. It will only activate with a finger, so don't worry about holding something in your hand and it suddenly activating. Okay?"

The group nodded. Gem raised her hand.

"Yes sweetheart?"

Gem pressed the button and held it down.

"What happens if you hold down the button?"

"You can generate a shield blast. It charges your shield and then fires it foreword. It can knock someone down to lighting him or her on fire. It's pretty awesome."

Gem realized she had been holding the button down for a little more than five seconds, the shield on her arm shacking with overcharged power. She then aimed her arm at a rock and released the button. With a force that knocked her on her back, the shield leapt from her arm and slammed into the rock. The noise it produced was loud enough to shack the trees, making the birds flee in response.

"I should mention you need to brace yourself if you're going to do that. It packs quiet a punch."

Gem rolled on the ground and held her stomach. The force of the push was enough to knock the wind out of her.

"I got that sir."

Derrick began to get restless and stepped in front of Johan, violating his personal space bubble.

"Sir, we are all ready to move out. You have shown us some valuable things our suits can do, but now we must continue on our mission."

Johan looked directly into Derrick's eyes. He wasn't going to budge this time.

"Fine. Lets move out!"

The marines, who were rested completely, were already in their armor. Ready to fight.

"Sir, wherever you want us. We wont be a burden on you anymore."

The three marines saluted Derrick and pulled their weapons from their backs. They loaded them with lightening speed and cracked the guns over their shoulders. One of them was holding a heavy machine gun and he was almost as tall as the agents. His face was old, older than most marines and defiantly old than the other two he accompanied.

"We're prepared to fight, sir."

Gem got off the ground with a grunt and brushed the dust off her arms.

"Lets go."

Gem despised Derrick for the decision to leave Link behind, and brushed past Derrick and grabbed her Javelin Rifle off the soft mossy floor. Then slapped it to the magnetic pad on her back with a fluid motion. She stood with her back to the group and turned her head to the side, her blonde hair flowing out the back of her helmet.

"Lets get to the fucking ran-de-vu point."

She said under her breath, before her visor slammed shut concealing her anger.

END

A/N: Hello my lil bear cubs. I'm glad I got this one out somewhat earlier than last time. April 1st was my b-day so I was up in the mountains snowboarding. I thought to my self on like Monday, I know I wont get it done if I leave it for Sunday. So I just wrote almost all of it on Monday, and finished it this afternoon. So yeah, don't hate on me. . But anyway. Next chapter will be even better. So as usual, COMMENT and SUSCRIBE. Oh! I have a question to ask ya'll. I suck at drawing, so I was wondering if someone could draw some stuff for me. If someone has those skillz, don't be shy. It would be sooooo awesome. I will give you credit for the drawing and I will put it up on Deviant Art, where I am going to try to upload all of my chapters to it. Welp, that's all. See ya next Sunday! :D

Casey (Bearmaster)


	8. Ch 6 Part 3: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Combat, Love it or Hate it ~ Part 3

Date: 2523 January 19 2300

Location: Reach, ONI Sword Base

Doctor Halsey sat watching the live feed from New Jerusalem in her lab. Quite, still, she sat in horror as she watched the invasion force ripped to nothing more than scrap metal and burnt flesh. The only noises were from the transmissions from the pelicans and the loud cracking of the flack splitting the sky. How could this have happened? She thought. Although she had no rank in the UNSC, she still commanded respect, and being told information about the missions her _children _were going on was imperative.

Halsey stood, her hands clenched as they held her weight on the steel table in front of her. She watched from a vantage point on the Definer what had happened in clarity. Three anti-air cannon nest's plumbed the invasion force before they even dropped past the cloud line. SAM site placements would then take advantage of the confused pilots and sneak up behind them when they were focused on the cannons. After a debilitating blow to either a critical or non-critical area of the ships, the cannons would then rip apart the injured bird like Piranha feasting upon their helpless prays.

This was no tactic of some remedial Insurrectionist take-over. It was some leader, someone of influence giving the commands. Halsey continued in her mind. Then, it dawned to her. This was seen before many times in the last ten years. Innie squads seemed to have much more power when a certain man, Jerome Hendrix, was in their midst; a man who controlled huge amounts of weaponry and manpower that manifested itself into a small army. Which was enough to take down an entire colony.

ONI must have known about this. It wasn't like Hendrix would just move off of Kholo just to take over New Jerusalem. There must have been signs, signs saying that he was there, some kind of manuscript of transport or anything. He was too big of a figure to get past security, being that he was on ONI's most wanted list. Halsey had no time to investigate the situation, she had to warn the Marines and her agents that they were in for a much bigger fight than expected.

Halsey made her way out of her office, storming her way past the many researchers and scientists that filled the ONI building's main lobby. But as she made her way to the elevators, she saw two men, dressed in black suits and dark sunglasses, looking around suspiciously. For a moment, Halsey felt her heart jump and didn't know why. One of the men slowly turned his head and made contact with Halsey. Instantly, his posture got stiff and he nudged the other man and pointed to Halsey. In one fluid motion, the men made a B-line for her, pushing the scientists and researchers out of their way.

Halsey didn't know whom the men were or why they were coming after her, but she knew that she had to warn her agents before it was too late. She began to sprint to the elevators; her high-heeled shoes made it hard for her to run, and with a quick jerk, flung them off and into the nearby pedestrians. In response to her running, the men raised their speed to match hers. Halsey rounded a corner in the lobby to expose a large hall of elevators. She ran for the closest elevator that was closing and screamed at it.

"Hold the door!"

Halsey stuck her hand in the door right before it closed and the doors responded by sliding open. The men rounded to the corner to she Halsey enter the elevator, which was packed with UNSC personnel. She slammed on the _door close_ button many times with great force as she heard the clopping sounds of the men's dress shoes against the marble floor. The doors began to shut as Halsey saw the reflection of one of the men round the corner to the elevator, but he was to late. The door was beyond opening and his chance at catching Halsey was gone. Halsey stood breathing heavily as the UNSC personnel stood confused at what just happened. She took a deep breath, as she now was safe.

"Hello, Halsey."

A mans voice broke the silence of the elevator as it descended into the Military sector. Halsey froze with the sound of the voice. It was only one other person with that low and scratchy tone.

"Watson. How are you?"

Halsey turned to see a chubby man, which is what she expected. General Watson was a short man, which was odd for the rank he held. He had short gray hair that looked a lot like wires poking out of a pillow cushion. His beady eyes focused on Halsey like target locators and she could feel his eyes scanning her body. It made her very uncomfortable to say the least. Watson took in a deep breath, making his belly quiver from the effort.

"I just wanted to tell you that we have the entire situation under control. We don't need you creating a panic right now."

"Wait, so those were your men?"

Halsey pointed to the closed elevator doors, as if one of the men were right behind it.

"Yes, they were. They did their job right and lead you right to me."

He rubbed his fatty rolls and gave out a deep chuckle, which the rest of the occupants of the elevator could feel reverberate through the floor. The elevator made a loud ding sound as it reached the lower floor of the military deck and as the door opened, the occupants except Watson and Halsey fled to their tasks at hand.

"Did you know that Jeremy was on New Jerusalem? Why didn't you tell anyone that the defenses were heavy?"

Watson rubbed his many chins and pondered to himself the question Halsey asked.

"Well, I wanted to see your new project in action."

Halsey froze in mid thought.

"You wanted to test my agents? How is this testing? This is a slaughter!"

Halsey grabbed Watson by the collar of his expensive vest and tried to pull him closer in a threatening manner, but his massive weight made that impossible.

"Those are people you're killing! Marines! How could you do that to your own people!"

Halsey could feel herself screaming into Watsons face now. It wasn't usual that Halsey got frustrated to the point of yelling, but he provoked her. Watson did nothing more but grab her chest and shove Halsey off of him.

"If my men can't survive the harsh world of battle, then they deserve to die."

Watson said plainly.

"That goes for your sick and twisted experiments as well, Ms. Halsey."

Halsey lost it this time. She lifted her hand and with a quick move, her hand met the skin of Watsons face with such force that it caused his entire face to shift over an inch. Watson tried to regain his balance after the destructive slap, but soon found himself crumbling to the floor. Halsey stood over him and it looked as if Halsey's anger manifested itself in heat radiating from her head. The defeated man lied on the floor staring at Halsey, and he worked himself off the floor right as the elevator reached the main military deck. He rubbed his chubby cheek as the door opened. He grabbed Halsey's shoulder and pushed her out of the way of the opening. With a condescending grin, Watson stepped out of the elevator.

"You will pay for this, fatty."

Halsey said as Watson regrouped with his men in the black suits. She glanced behind her to the lobby of the military deck and saw Watson staring at her. The doors began to shut and right before they closed completely, Watson squished his lips together, blowing Halsey a sloppy kiss.

Time: 2523 January 19 2000, Sunset

Location: 2 miles North East of Ran-de-vu

The sun's strength was weak now. The light barely went past the trees, where Link and the marine sat. Link had finished the operation long before, but he let the marine slowly regain consciousness by himself. Link sat looking at the marine, his leg wrapped in a SFBS, or a Skeletal Fracture or Break Solidifier. The SFBS wrapped itself around the marine's broken leg, and looked very similar to a cast. But this piece of machinery was much more advanced then let on. After a bone was put back in place, it would make the repairs to the leg that the body would have to take weeks to even months to fix by itself. It was an amazing tool for medics. It a matter of one more hour, the marine would be in fighting condition again. With a jolt, the marine forced himself up off the ground, in a cold sweat. Link jumped at the marine's sudden action.

"Marine, you okay?"

Link said, trying to slow his heart after that scare. The marine looked up at Link, and then he rubbed his head in confusion.

"You a medic?"

"Yes, Agent Lincoln Henderson of the IRC, Medical Technician."

Link stood and saluted the marine. He didn't know whether or not the marine was of higher rank, so it wouldn't hurt to salute him.

"Private John Wells, Support Electrical Technician."

The marine saluted back. He then tried to lift himself off the ground, but noticed his leg was in bad shape. A shot of pain went through his nervous system and the SFBS was not yet done with its repairs.

"Aah-uuugnh!"

John grunted as he sat himself back down, gripping his leg.

"Yeah, you broke your Femur when we dropped. You should be fine in about an hour."

Link said as he retracted his visor. The operating tools were still out and Link was putting everything back into his kit. From what it looked like, it took hours to fix the marines leg. Medical instruments that looked like torture tools as they were covered in old, coagulated blood. Link grabbed a group of scalpels that had been used, and placed them in a quarantine pack in his kit, preventing it from contaminating any other utensils. John looked at the blades in shock.

"How long did it take for you to fix me?"

Link shrugged as he didn't even look at the marine.

"I didn't keep a record, but I would say four hours."

John sat in silence and pondered his leg.

"Oh, don't worry man. It went better than I planned. I was worried I needed to amputate it."

John sighed in relief.

"So, you say you're in the I-R what?"

Link glanced up and pointed to the emblem on his shoulder, guiding the marine to the badge that he had received not three days earlier.

"I'm with the IRC."

"What's that?"

The marine asked.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know either."

The two laughed to ease the tension that had them by the throats. The fact that they had survived that crash was amazing, but they had a whole new list of problems. They had no idea where they were and they had to find their way to the ran-de-vu point using only sight. Using a mapping device was useless because of the jammer and even the compass feature on Link's Javelin rifle was being screwed with, its needle pointing in all directions trying to gain an idea of where they were.

"So what's the plan then, Agent?"

Link said nothing, as he stood slowly, wiping the splatters of blood off of his suit. John swallowed his saliva, amazed at how much blood he had lost.

"It seems we have to wait a little longer for your leg to finish, and then we can get a move on. We need to find the other marines and Agents. Once we do that, we have an advantage over the-"

Link was interrupted by a slow ping of the SFBS, signaling that it had finished with the procedure.

"Hm, that was fast."

Link strolled over to the downed marine and unbuckled the magnetic uplinks. The machine let out a loud burst of air as it opened to reveal a pale leg. It had done its job perfectly by sealing each cut and reducing scaring. John rubbed his leg, as it was still soar.

"How you feeling?"

Link asked as he helped him to his feet.

"Not too bad. I'm probably gonna slow you down though, so you should go ahead and go to the ran-de-vu."

Link raised an eyebrow.

"Please, if I wanted to go to the ran-de-vu and leave you behind, I would have done it when we separated. But I'm not going to leave any man behind. Besides, you're more useful that I fixed you now."

John smirked as he wobbled his way to pick up his assault rifle. His leg weak but workable.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Link finished putting his equipment away and slapped his kit onto his back. It clung to his back tightly, it wasn't going to move. In the same movement, he pulled his rifle off of his back and put a bullet in the chamber.

"Alrighty then."

Link shut his visor and looked at John.

"Lets move."

Time: 2523 January 20, 0200, Night

Location: In sight of Ran-de-vu, .8 km

Johan led the group with Derrick right behind. The chemical plant was in view as it was no silent. An unusual sight, knowing that it was a battleground no more than a day before. It shined like a cathedral in the pitch-black night. Its two smoke stacks behind the main building loomed over the entire facility. The many pipes and steel girder's made a labyrinth of the insides and pieces of the structure were worn from battle. Scorn marks showed massive explosions and bullet holes decorated the metal lining like a Christmas tree.

"There it is."

Johan pointed to the chemical plant, but he was worried.

"Why have they stopped firing?"

Gem and the marines followed as they took a knee to survey the area. Without warning, a sniper round ended the silence as it cracked in the sky. The group jumped as the readied their weapons in each direction, realizing that it wasn't focused towards them. A second past before a massive gun battle commenced. Red-hot amber came flying out of the windows and open corridors of the plant and rounds were shot back from within the buildings adjacent. The firefight had started again.

"So it was a code two."

Gem mumbled to herself. The big marine nodded.

"I have been in a cease fire like this before. No one is able to even move because snipers on both sides have squared up each location. One false move and BLAM! You head is Swiss cheese."

The marine in the middle scrunched his face.

"Nice phrasing."

The big marine chuckled.

"Thanks."

But the joke was short lived as they watched rockets crumble the sides of the plant. The steel girder's buckled under the blast and a portion of the structure collapsed. Light red and yellow flashes just like the anti-air cannons lit the front of the build up as if it was day. The structure wasn't going to hold out forever.

"So what's the plan, _leader_?"

Johan glanced at Derrick, sending him the remark. Derrick didn't say anything and pondered the possibilities. There wasn't much to go off of though. There was an entrance on the rear that could be used, but seeing how the Innies had dug in that wasn't a possibility. Heavily armed guards constantly patrolled the rear entrances and they would constantly be switched out for new guards every few minutes. Seeing as though they would be needed to fight at the front eventually.

Derrick scratched his head and scrapped the idea. Then he saw an underlining piping system that went underneath the building the Innies were in. It could be possible that it could be used as an entrance to their base. Derrick thought. But that again wasn't a possibility. They would be seen way before they even reached the pipe by the snipers above, and they would be picked off one by one. A distraction would need to be made if they were to attempt it, but that was risky, seeing that they were only seven improperly armed marines.

As Derrick explored his options, the others sat down and readied their weapons. The big marine loading his heavy machine gun and the other two loading their assault rifles. Gem armed her Javelin rifle and put it on her back, then preparing her Jackal baton. Johan just sat in a stoic position. Watching the battle like a gargoyle watching the people of a city buzz about bellow.

"I got it."

Derrick exclaimed. The group focused their attention to him. It was his time to shine.

"I need you three to go to the fortified structure where the other agents and marines are."

He pointed to Gem and the two smaller marines.

"When your there, tell the others to keep firing but let up slightly. Let the Innies think that you're weakening."

The three nodded.

"Then, we will go and set up a suitable position down there."

Derrick pointed to a rocky cliff face that was covered in shrubberies.

"Once we're in position, I will throw up a signal, when you see it, cease fire."

The group was confused. Why stop firing completely? That was extremely dangerous to do in the first place. They all thought.

"Trust me, I have a plan."

Gem tilted her head.

"You know when someone says _I have a plan_, it usually means, _I don't know if this will really work._"

Derrick put a finger to his mouth. Signaling Gem to be quiet.

"The signal will be this."

Derrick lifted his arm and turned his shield on his arm on and off, twice. The other marines were skeptical.

"Sir, what will happen once we stop firing?"

"Well, what I'm hoping, is that they will continue firing in force, they will think that they now have the upper hand."

"Won't this BE giving them the upper hand?"

Johan said in annoyance.

"Just do it."

Derrick snapped.

"Lets do this!"

Derrick leapt over the cliff face and slid down the rocky surface with ease. The big marine fallowed but Johan stayed behind.

"I guess this is the time of judgment."

Johan said to Gem. She rubbed her arm as she became very nervous.

"See you on the other side."

Johan fallowed the big marine down the face. Leaving the three others behind. Gem sat thinking what Derricks plan was. But she didn't mind what was going to happen, she just minded what needed to be done.

"Okay, you heard the man."

Gem said to the two marines. They nodded and with a quick motion, they began sprinting to the plant's rear entrance. Derrick and his team made it down the cliff face with no issues and they ran between small sectors of trees. The trees were thin, but provided temporary cover as the three huge men snuck their way to the attack point. Johan gripped his DMR off of his back, which grazed his hammer. He skidded his knee to the forest floor and slammed his back against a tree. With a quick motion he cocked the gun and glanced at Derrick and the big marine as they headed up from behind.

"I hope you know what you're about to do, kid."

Johan said on a low tone. His breath was solid and constant. Although they had sprinted more than quarter of a kilometer, he wasn't out of breath. That showed his superior training over the Agents, as Derrick mimicked his movements but was struggling to get air. As he slammed into the rock, Derrick saw the big marine heading towards a downed log. He wore a black mask, so his face was concealed, but his body was massive. The bone structure alone could be that of a Spartan, but his mental capability was, not so much like a Spartan. But then there was a Spartan like Johan, and he was not all mentally there. He didn't show the personality of a Spartan. Head strong and silent. That's what he had heard that the Spartans were and Johan disproved that fact, well, the silent part, Derrick reflected.

Johan's blue helmet peaked over the rock to investigate their approach. It was clear so with a big lunge, Johan vaulted over the rock and made a dash for the cover. His massive muscle shifting under his Mjolnir armor. As he ran he took a deep breath through his cigarette ravaged throat.

"Cause if you don't, you just killed us all."

END

A/N: WOOT! This is a great one for yeah. The calm before the STORM! Shiz is gonna get hectic in the next chapter! The entire build up has lead to this! XD I'm soooo excited! (To be honest, next chapter is going to be the most action in any chapter I have written, so prepare some Depends for next Sunday. ;] ) But anyway. I wont keep ya. Just remember, COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE! Oh! And remember to check out the forum that I set up. Its for all the comments u placed up and any questions u want answered. Check ya later bear cubs. :3 HORRAY FOR ALMOST 1,000 VIEWS!

Casey (Bearmaster)


	9. Ch 6 Part 4: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Violence, Blood, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Combat, Love it or Hate it ~ Part 4

Time: 2523 January 20, 0430

Location: Reaching Ran-de-vu, 1 km

For hours John and Link walked through the dense forests of New Jerusalem. It seemed as though they had walked over hundreds of kilometers in those six hours, but they had only done about two. The forest slowed their progress. Constantly there would be ravines that needed to be crossed, but they had no means of doing so. What wound up happening over six times was that the duo needed to find a route around the obstacles which usually meant adding an hour to their walk. Luckily, Link knew what direction they needed to go. At least they wouldn't need to turn around.

Link felt good though. His feet didn't ache for rest, nor did his belly growl. John was another story though. His injury, although healed, was still very fragile which made the walk demanding on his other unbroken leg. Every time they went a fraction of a kilometer, he needed to stop and massage his thigh and calf muscles to prevent the chances of getting a Charley Horse.

Link could hear the battle of the ran-de-vu getting much more intense. Flashes of light and ear piercing explosions could be heard from where they were. They were getting close.

"Uuugnh!"

John fell to his good leg, holding his sore leg.

"Charley Horse?"

Link asked, knowing the situation already. The marine nodded, but didn't change his facial expression, eyes shut tight and gritting his teeth letting sporadic bursts of air escape his bicuspids. Link sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Don't worry; we'll get there when we get there."

John held out his hand.

"Lincoln, wait."

John said that in a tone he had only heard once before. Sad, yet still. Link dreaded it. With a slow turn of his head, Link responded in a shallow tone.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to leave me."

Link turned to the marine, holding his leg with tears in his eyes.

"I told you, I'm not-"

"I know what you said."

John interrupted Link. Link retracted his words and straightened his back. John's voice became hard, but the sound of sadness crept behind it. The scratching and cracking of yhis voice indicated his intentions.

"I will only slow you down. And from what it looks like, I'm not going anywhere."

Link stood looking at the face of John. His face showed the signs of unkempt cleaning. His shallow beard stretched from his ears to the underside of his neck. John's eyes kept a dark brown as they took in all of the light they could of the night. Although he wasn't a large person, he had massive hands, big enough to palm a basketball.

John took off his helmet, placing it next to him; the bloodstained bandages still covered his short brown hair. Rubbing his forehead, John gave out a small whimper.

"The Innies need to be stopped."

"I know that, but if I leave you, your neck deep in enemy territory alone. They have scouts searching this area constantly."

Link said as he felt his voice becoming tighter.

"They will find you."

John looked up to the sky, his eyes red and puffy. He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly through his lips.

"I know. Here."

John reached to his side and took out his pistol. It wasn't military issue, it was a revolver.

"What is this?"

Link asked.

"It was my fathers; he gave it to me when I was a little boy. I want you to have it. If I'm found, I don't want that to be taken and used like some worthless piece of metal like I'm sure the Innies would do with it."

John held the barrel, with the butt stock facing Link. Link's eyes focus on the gun. Its shimmering silver body reflected moons light.

"What you want me to do with it?"

Link asked naively as he grasped the butt stock.

"I want you to use this on every Innie you fin-AHhhieee!"

John cringed as his leg's muscles tightened again. He let go of the gun to grip his leg with both hands.

"John, I don't just-"

"Just do it! I know that these are my last moments."

Link knelt down his knee. Now on eye level with John.

"These are my final wishes."

Link felt his heart sink as the marine told his thoughts. Links mind darted back and forth between options on how to help him, but there wasn't anything else he could do.

"Okay, John. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"

Link asked and he took his med-kit off his back.

"Yeah. Can you give me some painkillers? I wanna feel invincible if they try to kill me."

Link smiled at John as he let out a chuckle. His wish was easy to provide seeing as though his pack had three containers of three-hundred painkillers.

"Here."

Link grabbed a pinch of the pills and placed them into John's hand.

"That's about ten pills."

"Thanks, Lincoln. Whelp. I guess this is it."

Link stood, putting his pack back on his back. He could feel his eyes swelling, trying hard not to let them burst.

"Lincoln, thank you for saving my life. I wish I could repay you."

John stuck out his hand, the final goodbye. Link grabbed his hand firmly as he couldn't hold the tears in anymore.

"You have."

Link said as he let go of the marine's hand, saluting him for the last time. The marine saluted back, but confused on how he repaid him. As Link walked away from the marine and into the unforgiving forests of New Jerusalem, he didn't feel like how he did with Aften Marsh. Of course Link was sad, but it wasn't guilt anymore. He had saved that marine from death, but it was time to let John take his life into his own hands. Link had saved another human from death and in the long run of life, he had gained a friend. It just made him sad that that was the last time he would ever see Private John Wells, the marine who survived a pelican crash and still wanted to fight till the end.

In an instant, John realized that the forest was much quieter when you're alone. He sat with his MA37 assault rifle on his lap, his three extra clips in his vest. The forest moved and swayed in the breezes of the night and the trees made ominous noises, almost as if there was someone out there. John's hand gripped the handle of the weapon as he felt himself becoming tense. It was only a matter of time before an Insurrectionist patrol would find him, but he was ready. John lifted his gun and put the barrel on his shoulder, waiting for them to come to him. There was hell to pay if they found him, John thought as he slid a magazine into the rifle and took his pain killers with a swig of water from his canteen.

One hour later

Link was sprinting though the forestation now. He let the growth bush up against him as he flew through the dense foliage. What took almost six hours before, took only an hour.

But there was something new troubling Link. The battle that sounded like it was raging just two hours before had gone silent. No more lights, no more loud explosions, and no more people to make those noises. Link could feel that he was close. The forest was becoming less dense and the facility was coming into view. It was only seconds before Link was at the ran-de-vu. He remembered everyone, Gem, Derrick, Kenny, and Johan. Link could feel his excitement building to see them as he reached the final trees separating him from the chemical plant. With a jolt, Link leapt behind a large rock for cover. His heart beating like a warthog motor, he peaked over the rock to see what he had prayed for. The facility was intact.

Time: 2523 January 20, 0230

Location: Chemical Plant battlefield

Derrick had his back to the cliff where he and the other two attackers waited. They waited for a half an hour, letting the guards move back and forth. It was time they began their assault and level the playing field.

Gem, Kenny and the other two marines had already gained access to the building and coordinated the plan with Coronal Rafter, the leading officer of the ground campaign. He was skeptical at first, letting the facility become the target of a massive volley of gunfire. But Gem told him that she had total trust in his plan. So, Rafter took the plan and sent out a message to his marines and the other Agents in the facility and they were just waiting to start the plan, anxious to gain the upper hand. Derrick stood in sight of the facility and flashed his shield. Coronal Rafter saw him while using his long range target locator.

"Okay charley team! The signal has been given, slow your firing!"

Rafter gave the order over his Comm's device. In almost no time, the marines and Agents slowed their shooting. Gem marveled the teamwork the armor-clad Agents and the marines demonstrated. Although the marines didn't know the Agents that well, they had been earning a prosperous reputation, unlike the Spartans. They fought like marines, talked like marines, and thought like marines. So the unnerved soldiers who fought by their sides were more comfortable with them.

Gem grabbed a heavy sniper as she slid next to a marine by an open shattered window, behind a large amount of sandbags. She patted the man on the back as she retracted her visor, showing him her face. She smiled at him as she cocked the sniper and, without hesitation, plucked the head off an Innie sniper on the opposite end of the field. Her first kill and it felt good. The marine saw her precision and was astonished. An almost pinpoint shot with little preparing time. Gem then glanced to the ground battle that had commenced. She then sent one more round to an Innie who was advancing towards a turret emplacement in the front lines that was near an over turned truck, piercing his leg and sending him to the ground. Gem ducked as she narrowly avoided a volley of machine gun rounds that spewed over her position. She looked at the marine and punched his arm as he was too afraid to look over the sandbags.

Kenny ran to the opposite end of the facility, assisting the marines who had been disheveled by the rocket launcher blasts. He took his Javelin rifle off his back with a flash as he took a position next to a badly wounded marine. As he fired small bursts of rounds at the enemy buildings, he grabbed the wounded marine by the collar of his uniform and dragged him out of the danger zone and to the makeshift infirmary; which was behind many layers of concrete and metal, safe from the battle.

The shooting coming from the facility had almost stopped, allowing the Innies to take the upper hand. In almost no time, the Innies began their advance. They charged across their stretch of the middle territory that was nothing more than a blown to shit street with sand bag emplacements that was about a quarter of a kilometer to both buildings. But the marines and the Agents would only let them get close enough to the facility that they thought that they were winning. An illusion that seemed like it was working. Derrick and the others looked at the guards, just waiting for their time to attack. And then, it came.

"Hey!"

An Innie foot soldier called out to the guards. The two guards looked up at the soldier whose head was peaking around a dumpster. They had no set attire that they wore. No armor or uniform, they looked like civilians. One of their brutal tactics they used against the UNSC.

"The pigs are starting to crack! We need you up here for the final push!"

Derrick got chills as his plan started to take to fruition. The guards glanced at each other, tightening their grips on their smuggled DMR's and they dashed to the foot soldier, leaving their post.

"OKAY! Time to move!"

Derrick roared over the comms to Johan and the big marine. Derrick took the lead as they charged the side door, across a street that was used for transporting soldiers to the front lines. Out of the corner of his eye, Derrick saw another guard coming from the rear of the structure about to throw, from what it looked like, a Napalm grenade, and with just as much accuracy as Gem, he popped the Innie with a burst of rounds from his Javelin rifle. Taking the Innie down, detonating the grenade in his hand as he fell to his knees. A dollop of the liquid fire flee out of the hand held device and attached itself to the big marines leg, endless pain coursing throughout his body. The Innie caught fire by the Napalm just as the three men entered the structure, slamming the large steel door behind them.

"Aaaagh! Fuck me! That burns like a bitch!"

The big marine fell on his back as he tired to scoop the Napalm off his leg with his index finger and middle finger. Which only made it worse by spreading it to his hands.

"Marine! Stop, I got a med kit with some bio-foam!"

Johan knelt down next to the marine and sprayed the fire that scorched the marine's leg with bio-foam, which settled the fire and relived the pain quiet fast. With a jerk, the marine took his facemask off, exposing his small shaped jaw.

"This plan doesn't seem to be going as good as you planned, hu?"

The marine barked at Derrick as he let the pain take control of his words. Derrick was now in a state of rage.

"Okay, well, I don't know your name yet marine, what is it?"

"Barshik, sir."

Derrick was set off by the odd name and tried to repeat the name.

"Bar-shak? Barshook, Bar- Whatever, shut the fuck up! Just do your job."

Barshik chuckled to himself as Derrick stormed deeper into the darkness, his Javelin rifle up to his face scoping out for any soldiers within the structure. No insurrectionists found, just many four by four crates filling a warehouse like storage area. Derrick knew he wasn't alone as he heard the footsteps and yelling voices of soldiers moving about outside and inside the massive holding facility. Derrick took a final look around before darting back to Johan and Barshik. Barshik had cooled the Napalm on his leg, and was getting to his feet. Unfortunately, Napalm must be surgically removed because of its tendency's to fuse with the flesh of its victims, so Barshik would have a hitchhiker for a while.

The three soldiers went scouting deeper into the structure as Gem and Kenny kept the fight going on outside. Now that the team was in, the marines and Agents continued to keep the heat on, firing thousands of rounds a minute at the Insurrectionists locations. Gem then saw something that she had never witnessed. The Innies were charging the facility in force. At least four hundred individuals were piling out of their strong hold. A mass of multiple colored clothes made it look like a riot more than a planned attack.

"Sir! Enemies advancing!"

The marine next to Gem said as a ricochet bullet bounced off the metal girders and pierced his soft eye tissue, spewing blood and eye tissue over the floor and sending the marine into extreme pain. He grabbed what was left of his eye as it dribbled out of his head and he grabbed Gems arm, screaming in a way Gem had never heard before. It chilled her to her core. In his pain-induced tantrum, the marine stood, ignoring the battle at hand and tried to make his way to the infirmary, but as he stood, a sniper round pierced the back of his knee, sending his to the ground in even more pain. As he hit the floor, Gem took action after being dumbstruck. She activated her shield ran backwards over to the downed marine, who wasn't moving. Bullets bounced off her shield and her arm took recoil from it, but she was able to stabilize it with her new found strength. Kneeling down, Gem grabbed the marines shoulder and rolled him to his back, her shield protecting them both from enemy fire. He was unconscious and not doing to good by the looks of his eye. Gem saw the mauled eye and almost vomited from the sight.

"Medic!"

Gem screamed as a medical marine saw the events already taking place.

"Thank you Agent! I can take it from here!"

The medic said as he dragged the mutilated soldier away to the infirmary. Gem's shield held up for her to get back to her position where she took a small breather to let them recharge.

"AGENTS IN FRONT!"

Rafter's voice rang over the Comms as he pointed to down to the mob of rebels assaulting the facility as they past the half way point of the front lines, swarming any lone marine stranded down there. Gem couldn't see what was happening to them, but it couldn't be pleasant.

"All agents get down there and make a line!"  
Without hesitation, Gem dashed to the stairs that lead to the floor level. The stair chamber was filled with marines propped up against the wall, recovering from their wounds. She ran down the shaft with many other Agents, Kenny right behind her. Their armor, although being lighter than the Mjolnir armor by six hundred kilograms, still made the shaft shake and tremble with their movement, like a small earthquake. It was only two floors up so Gem, Kenny and the others made it down to the floor level in no time at all. As Gem and the team ran into the destroyed lobby of the plant, the other Agents swarmed out as well, the UNSC equivalent to the swarm heading towards the facility. At least ninety other Olympians, shields drawn, had filled out and were now about to come into head to head contact with the Insurrectionists. As the agent's deflected bullets and smacked straggler rebels as they charged the facility, a voice of unknown origin came over the Comms, a male voice.

"Remember our training! Make a wall two people thick!"

The Agents responded by gathering into Line Formation, where all the Agents stood side by side with their shields making one long fifty person long shield wall with a secondary line of Agents behind the front line to provide support. A classic riot control tactic.

Gem was in front with a male Agent behind her while Kenny was towards the left side in the second line. The wall of soldiers deflected many things along with bullets as the cowardice mod kept their distance. The Insurrectionists were thrown off by the new technology, although they had seen Spartans before. But they had never seen Riot Spartans.

The Agents could feel their hearts pounding as they were now face to face with the rebels, the people who the UNSC were fighting against for a long time. Longer than anyone could remember. But Gem noticed something, something typical. The mod, the Insurrectionist threat, was all in the age range from young teen to early thirties. She then also took a look at her fellow Agents, they were all eighteen and in the prime of the human body, the human spirit. The young fighting the wars of the old, Gem though as she deflected a sniper round.

Derrick, Barshik and Johan continued their search of the building, opening up the many wooden crates to find only stashes of Ittocimine, a highly addictive drug. Johan scooped some of the pale red powder onto his finger tips and licked it.

"Hm, I didn't know that this was a raid."

He said in a betrayed voice. Johan didn't like to be taken advantage of, and this mission was doing so.

"What is it?"

Derrick asked in a confused way as he scanned the passage ways for rebels.

"Devils Dust. That is why these fucks think they are invincible."

Barshik said with a grunt.

"What?"

"Ittocimine fucks wif yo nervous system, makes you think you're invincible, seeing as though you can't feel anything. No wonder why all of the rebels here are stronger than usual. But this is a lot of the stuff, so there is a kingpin Innie leader on this planet."

Johan kicked the crate next to him, sending a cloud of red dust into the air.

"Those FUCKERS! They knew that this mission was bigger than we could handle but they sent us anyway. Shit!"

Derrick darted his head to Johan and put his finger to his mouth.

"Be quiet! If you'll be any louder they'll find us!"

"Fuck! What should we do then, _leader?_"

Johan said condescendingly. Derrick rubbed his forehead; the frustrations of being in command were getting to him. What should be the next step, he thought. His mind darting back and forth on his duty and his conscious, making it harder for him to make a decision.

"Well?"

Johan said as he flailed his arms. A sudden burst of reason came into Derricks head. For some reason, he was seeing clearly now. He wondered for a moment if he had just snapped, like if he had just gone completely insane, but he didn't. He turned calmly to Johan, his face the most peaceful than it had ever been.

"We'll blow the place. Johan, do you have any demo-charges?"

Johan patted his side for a moment before glaring at Derrick in disbelief.

"You know this stuff is like TNT, if you blow up this much it with fuck up the entire building, it may even take the chemical plant!"

"I have a plan. Don't worry. We just need to get back to the others in time for the blast. Came you handle it sweetheart?"

Derrick said cocking his eyebrow with a new found confidence. Johan smirked back at Derrick, knowing that he had just become what everyone needed him to be.

"Yes sir! What's the plan?"

"Okay, how many demolition charges you have?"

"I only brought two, seeing as though I thought we were going on a picnic."  
"Okay, give me one and I'll plant it on the other end of this place, we'll set the charges to blow in ten minutes. That will give us enough time before this place lights up."

Barshik and Johan nodded, but Johan looked confused.

"What about our exit?"

"We'll do what we do best. Shot our way out."

Barshik grinned as he lifted his heavy machine gun to his hip.

"Just what I wanted to hear."

"Gem, do you read?"

Derrick pressed on the side of his helmet.

"What -s it!"

Static made it hard to communicate with her as the jammer continued to scramble transmissions.

"What's your situation?"

"Well, -e're outsi- the Inn- pushin- oreward! W-'re holing th- line!"

"Okay, the intruder team and I are going come out in a few minutes, got any ways we can met up with you in ten minutes? We need to meet as a whole, all of the Agents."

A long pause fell over the radio.

"Uh, okay! –ere is a –arage direct- in the front of the str-ture. There – enough cover –o get you to us, I –ink."

Derrick pumped his fist at Johan and Barshik in excitement.

"Okay! That's where we will come out! Can you provide cover fire?"

"-e'll try, sir."

"Thanks!"

Derrick patted Johan on the shoulder.

"This is going to get intense."

Johan laughed and slapped the demo-charge into his other hand.

"Yes, yes it is."

Derrick gripped the charge and began his dash to the other end of the building, dodging any guards to prevent a firefight, to prevent setting off an alarm. Once Derrick reached the opposite end of the building, he ripped the small plastic baggy that covered the charge and took out the brick like device. It wasn't a complicated weapon, just place, put a detonation time on it, and then arm it. Within seconds, the charge was set. Derrick smiled as he patted the charge before he began his sprint back to the others. But before he made it even ten steps away, he heard the thing he didn't want to hear the most.

"What the fuck!"

Derrick stopped in his movement like a scared goat and pivoted on his heel to see what was behind him. A rebel was staring at the charge and then looked at Derrick, his face in shock as he saw the armored warrior.

"Intruder alert!"

The rebel said into his radio that broadcasted to the entire building, shattering the sense of evasiveness that Derrick wanted to keep. Like lightning, he reached for his Jackal Staff, pulled it off his hip, retracted the two blades on the front and threw the weapon like a spear. The blades slashed through the Innies feeble armor and punctured his heart. Instantly, the rebel died. But his call to the rest of the rebels was clear.

As Gem bashed an Insurrectionist on the head with her Jackal Staff and Kenny halted three chargers at once with a quick burst of Javelin bullets, the mod began their final push. The entire mass of more than three hundred armed assailants began charging towards the now frightened Agents.

"Hold your ground!"

The agent next to Gem ordered over the Comms. The front line of the Agents braced themselves as they could feel the earth shack beneath their feet.

"This is what we trained for!"

The same Agent said as the whites of the rebel's eyes came into view.

"Take them down!"

Just as the agent gave the order, the second line of agents popped over the heads of the front linesmen and began striking down soldier after soldier with their Rifles. But they kept coming even after the hail of bullets took out their brothers. The front line agents then withdrew their Jackal Staffs, preparing for the up close battle to commence.

"Here we go!"

Gem screamed as the mod clashed into the wall of energy, causing the Agents to get pushed back a few feet. Feeling the force, the Agents knew what to do. The front linesmen dug theirs toes of their boots deep into the mixture of sediment and dirt and used all of the force in their bodies to keep from moving. The back line of Agents put their shoulders to the front linesmen's backs to brace them even more. It looked like a stand off. Not one side gained more ground even though the Innies had almost three times as many fighters.

"Beat 'em down!"

Kenny said, as he was the first to stand above the front line and bash the rebels back using his Staff. Bashing the face of one individual in particular, spewing blood onto the glowing shield wall as he shattered his jaw bone and ripping his nose in two with the blades of the Staff. The other Agents, seeing his vigor, joined him. The Innies fought back, hitting the shields with axes, two by fours and the butts of their guns. But the line of warriors didn't budge. Even at that close of range, the rebels' bullets didn't affect the Agents.

The other marines watched in awe as the Agents fought off the horde from the safety of the Facility, firing at the mod trying to lessen the load for the Agents. They were the last line of defense for the marines, so they prayed that they would succeed and would do all they could do to help. From what it looked like, the Agents were winning.

"Lets get out of here!"

Johan called to Derrick as the three began their sprint to the garage. From what Gem told Derrick, the garage was somewhere at the front of the structure that was facing the chemical plant, so that was their direction they would go. Barshik was the slowest but the most efficient. He stayed a small distance behind Johan and Derrick, keeping any Innies off their backs as they fled the building, spraying rounds from his heavy machine gun into anything that followed them.

"Where's our exit?"

Barshik said as he shot a burst of rounds into an Innie as they rounded the corner, hitting him directly in the chest and then moving to his head, spraying the wall with red and white gray matter.

"We only have six more minutes!"

Johan yelled to Derrick.

"I know! Just keep going!"

The two super soldiers kept running through the decaying structure looking desperately for the exit, but Derrick had a feeling it was close. He was right as the garage was directly across from the main armory of the structure, which they passed on their left.

"Come on!"

Johan said as he waved to Barshik, waving his hand frantically to hurry. With the little bullets he had, Barshik blew away three more soldiers who had been right behind him and dropped his machine gun, its girth clunking onto the concrete floor with a loud clang. Without the extra weight, he sprinted with surplus speed to the others and pulled his pistol from his side. Derrick could feel that his plan was finally working as he looked into the vast garage, filled with vehicles that were under repair. One vehicle caught his eye though, a specific vehicle the invasion force had attempted to bring down before it was slapped out of the sky. The tank seemed to be in working condition, it was damaged, but it looked workable.

"Hey!"

Derrick said as he pointed to the tank to Barshik. In a moment, everything seemed to slow down as Derrick turned to Barshik, his massive body moving like a cougar through the dark corridors of the structure. Behind the massive marine was the armory that was now pumping out rebels who were well armed. By the time Derrick tried to signal to Barshik what was behind him, the more then ten rebels had already taken point, and filled Barshik with more than one hundred rounds to his back. He was death before he hit the ground.

"Barshik!"

Derrick yelled as his voice cracked. Johan was on the rebels like white on rice after they killed their marine comrade, pounding their position with a hale of MA37 assault rifle incendiary rounds; dropping five of the attackers and sending the others into cover. Pieces of cement from the walls bursting off and dust the dusty air mixing with airborne blood. Derrick left his position as he ran to Barshiks side. He lay face down on the floor, making a shallow puddle of crimson vital fluid onto the cold cement floor. Derrick grabbed Barshiks lifeless arm and rolled him to his back, revealing how extensive his wounds were. From head to toe his body showed that the bullets used against him were shredder rounds. The bullets had torn through his flesh and exited through the front of his body, making nothing more than a bloody mess of detached skin and cloth. Derrick didn't even notice but he was being shot at as he mourned his dead warrior.

"Derrick! We don't have any time! We need to go now!"

Johan said as he ran to his side, grabbing him by the left shoulder. Derrick had retracted his visor and was sobbing; the tears he had held since they had dropped in had emerged.

"We have to honor him later! We only have two minute left, lets go!"

Johan said as he pulled Derrick to his feet and to a running start to the garage.

"Wait!"

Derrick demanded and he stopped dead in his run and darted back to Barshiks body. Johan stood confused as he Derrick was doing something to Barshiks lifeless remains. Johan soon realized his actions were just. Derrick had positioned the dead soldier in a peaceful way, his hands crossed on his chest one over the other, and placed a small rag that he had been carrying with him over his head. That was a tradition to do on his home world, when someone died; you give them the grace of covering their face. Whether it had an emotion of horror, sadness, or joy, you covered the face until the funeral. In Barshiks case, it was never. Derrick stood and a tear fell from his face onto the rag, and he ran back to Johan in the doorway to the garage.

"You ready?"

Derrick lifted his hand and flashed a set of dog tags.

"Yeah. I just want to honor his courage."

Johan nodded.

"We'll honor him after we get the fuck out of here!"

The two began their sprint to the garage exit. The garage was huge, big enough to fit an armada of Warthogs.

"Shit!"

Johan halted in his running and pointed to a mass of rebels who covered the way out, shooting at the Agents from their vantage point.

"We'll never get past 'em!"

Derrick looked at the damaged tank and gave Johan a smirk as he wiped the tears from his face.

"Two questions, do you know how many rounds were in the tank, and do you know how to drive one?"

The lines men were holding on, battering the constant stream of Insurrectionist with their Javelin Rifles, Jackal Staffs, and other weapons. But the Agents had been holding that line for a long time, almost an hour, and their bodies were weak from fatigue. Gem's arm quaked as each rebel clashed into her shield; it sent vibrations through her arm that almost crippled her on the spot. But the wall stood firm, as they would not give into their exhaustion.

"Where are you?"

Gem screamed into her microphone to Derrick. She could barely activate her Comms device as she held her shield wielding arm with her other arm, letting her exhaustion get the better of her. The jammer worked both ways as Derrick responded to Gem's call for help.

"J-st hold o- a –ew more s-conds, we're almost there!"

Gem could feel the weight of the rebels pushing on the Agents, as they couldn't hold anymore. The rebels began to push the line of super soldiers back, some of the Agents buckled and fell from the instance force. The mob then saw that they were causing some pain and got even stronger from the feeling of defeating the Agents. And with the biggest push they could give, the Insurrectionists shoved the front line with so much force that it cased many of the Agents to topple over, it was over for the front line and over for the Agents.

"Fall back!"

The familiar voice of an Agent rang over the Comms as the rebels began their vicious scattering of the now spread out Agents. Some were knocked to the ground by a mass of bodies and beaten on the ground, the rebels using everything they could to break the Agent. The blood began to spill as one Agent was dragged away by his feet, separated from the group as five male thugs began to maliciously stab the soldier with sharp weapons like knives and beating him with a large two by four. His cries of agony could be heard over the Comms, and Gem attempted to help him by vaulting over a man by his shoulders and making a mad dash to him, but a metal sledgehammer to the face soon intercepted her. The force broke her visor and sent her sprawling to the ground. The attacker then stood over her and grabbed her throat, chocking her in her now unable state.

"Lookie here, fellas. A woman!"

Two other rebels walked up to him as they wielded their pistols, firing at random Agents. They laughed smuttily to themselves as the main rebel got close to her face.

"And she's pretty too, we're gonna have a lot of fun with you!"

The sick man laughed as he released her from his chock hold and began to drag her by her feet. Her vision was scattered as the hammer had bruised her entire face, but she could see that he and the other two sick individuals were dragging her body to a dark ally. Gem desperately trashed with all her might to move but the rebels had a tight grip. But the sound of a tank cannon soon made them release her from their grips.

"What the hell was that?"

One of the sick individuals turned in shock to see the steel-clad Scorpion tank rolling out of the garage, an Agent with yellow detailed armor standing on the tanks _head_ as it began surveying the battle sight.

"Here we go!"

Johan said as he got a group of Innies into his crosshairs and shot a blast of super heated heavy caliber tank rounds into the crowd. With a monstrous crash, it sent rebel bodies into the sky, along with maimed body parts, concrete and dust, a wonderful combination of red and brown.

"Leave our people be!"

Derrick said as he used his Javelin Rifle to take down two of Gem's assailants, sending the first individual fleeing for his life. But running only made him tired as Derrick shot one round to that back of his head, killing him instantly. Another blast from the tank quaked the ground and the treads rolled over the battleground, moving its way to the facility.

"Forty seconds!"

Johan announced. Derrick dove off the tank and pumped more round into the now scared and scattering Insurrectionists, most of them retreating back to the original structure dodging the tank.

"Everyone listen! On my signal shoot your charged shield over the top of the structure! Got that?"

The standing soldiers nodded as they now were on the offensive, shooting retreating rebels in the back. They all stopped firing and turned their shields back on, holding down the button on their hands to overcharge their shields. For a few seconds, the exhausted Agents now could only hear the charging of their shields and the sound of running rebels. It was the closest thing to quiet they had gotten all day. But that was soon to be interrupted.

"Six-five-four-three-NOW!"

Derrick roared, his voice reaching the loudest he could go. In a simultaneous shot, all of the Agents released their shields, sending a wall of glowing particles into the sky just as the timer struck zero. The demolition charges hitting the detonation mark, sending a spark into the clay explosive, causing the clay to burst. The reaction then caught the Ittocimine, setting it off like a room full of dynamite. The blast quickly plumed throughout the entire structure, engulfing all that were inside, from the already dead to the still living that sought refuge in the structure. Setting it all to blaze in a massive fireball. The Agents on the ground saw the blast as it became much larger than they had ever thought, as the hell fire began to rush towards them. But the shields that had been released into the sky had caught the fire as it tired to descend onto the soldiers, pushing it out into the sky instead of roasting the Agents.

Derrick took a deep breath as he saw the cloud of red and black drift into the sky as the Insurrectionist's building burned to the ground. Johan leapt out of the tank in joy to see that they had won, giving the Agents who were standing and celebrating handshakes and congratulating them. Gem was slowly getting off the hard concrete and dirt to see Derrick smiling at her, his bright smile back on his face.

"Thank you for getting here when you did. We were in a bad way."

Derrick's smile widened as the marines from the facility ran out from the lower level cheering to the Agents and helping the injured to the infurmery.

"You did a good job here, Agents."

Rafter said over the Comms as he looked down upon the battlefield, specifically to Derrick and Gem who stood in the middle of the crowd. From his vantage point, he saluted them. They saluted back as he faded back into the structure to the command room. Gem took her helmet off, letting her sweaty hair out plop to her shoulders. She placed the helmet on her hip and rubbed her bruised face.

"So, what now?"

END

A/N: YEAH! I FEEL SO MANLY RIGHT NOW! UUUGH! I JUST THRUSTED INTO THE AIR! YEAH! :P im so stocked about that battle its not even funny. It didn't go exactly as I thought but it came out just as good. This being the longest chapter yet, Im proud of it. :3 it also showed the drama between soldiers who are put into situations of peril. I.E. Lincoln and John & Derrick and Barshik. At first I didn't want to kill Barshik, then I was like, he gots to go. At least I gave him a nice _burial. _:/ I feel bad now. Lol so anyway, tell me what you think about the action, the drama, the intensity! Comment and subscribe if u hasn't already, and to my little Bear cubs, I love you. ^_^ See ya next Sunday!

Casey (Bearmaster)


	10. Ch 6 Part 5: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Violence, Blood, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Combat, Love it or Hate it ~ Part 5

Time: 2523 January 20, 1000

Location: Outside of Ran-de-vu, Battleground, New Jerusalem

The ground was littered with blood and debris. Link walked around the tattered battlegrounds as he stepped over many dead bodies, none of them being UNMC. After taking a slow look around, he stood in the center of the thrashed landscape, looking at the building across from the chemical plant. A massive and uncontrolled fire raged out from the ceiling and windows, its glorious dark red color drifted up into the now morning sky.

"Whoa…"

Link thought out loud. He continued to look at the landscape in order to figure out what happened. Looking at every detail of the land, bullet holes, burn marks, and more. Until he found tank tread prints. Link knelt down and took a closer look at them. The treads showed that the tank was not in good condition, as one of the treads was missing from the prints. But it disturbed him as he followed the tracks where they vanished to the underneath loading station of the chemical facility.

"Oh no."

Link said, thinking that the Innies had used the tank on his brothers and sisters. He stood slowly, cautiously, and mimicked the tracks with his feet gradually getting into range of the facility. He feared the worst as the tank was sitting right outside of the port access doorway. The dead silence was also a troublesome factor. Was it over? Link thought. He didn't notice, but his slow walk had turned into an irregular run. The runway went into a slight curve down into the loading bay, where it then showed an array of docking ports. Only one being open. Link saw it and sprinted to the opening, hoping that he would find someone alive. He vaulted over the small lip of the shipping port and ran through the large open door only to find a pitch black loading area. Link halted his run, his feet squeaking against the floor with a loud screech. The sound reverberated into the hold, but no other noise was made, no voices, no anything.

"Marines!"

Link yelled into the dark abyss. He wasn't expecting anyone to respond, so he dragged his feet to the lip of the loading port and sat down, his legs dangling over the three foot drop. It was quiet again. No noise, not even his breathing was load enough to fully register in his ears.

"Lincoln?"

A load voice broke the silence, and Link jumped off the ledge stumbling to his feet. He regained his balance as he turned on his heel as fast as his body allowed to see another Agent. Adorned in black and blue armor.

"Gem?"

Link felt his heart racing in his chest. He looked at Germaine's tattered armor; her broken visor revealed her soft face, her brilliant blue eyes popped out of the bruised canvas of her face and pulled him into a trance that made him feel like everything was going to be alright. Without warning, Link felt his body lose control as he vaulted over the loading platform again, and with a surge of energy pulled Gem into a strong hug. Their armor clanged together as their bodies collided. She gladly accepted the embrace as she felt the same relief flowing over them.

"Where were you, stupid!"

Gem said into Links earpiece. Her frustration covering her now uneasy voice, attempting to not show her true emotions.

"I got here as fast as I could."

Link said as he loosened up on the strong hug, and looked directly into her eyes. Their young and vibrant faces almost coming together. Gems lower lip began to quiver as she hugged Link again.

"Don't ever do that again, you got me?"  
Link could feel her breathing against his neck, her breath shallow and controlled as she wiped her eye.

"I won't."

Link said plainly, he felt safe now. After the traumatic events the two had gone through, he felt even closer to her. But he felt something else now, not just regular compassion. He felt as though there was more between Gem and himself as he pulled her away slightly again looking into her blue eyes. Link felt his hand move from her lower back to the back of her helmet. Her eyes glowed as she felt his hand moving. And with a subtle nudge, he moved his lips onto hers. Her full lips pressing against his, she accepted it as she closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her face. Link could feel Gem's warm lips against his and it made his legs wobble with elation. He held her head as if he was cradling it and then moved his head back, nudging his forehead on hers.

"Do you do that with all the girls you don't see for two days?"

Link chuckled and rubbed her cheek with the side of his body suit covered hand. The suit sending heat on her soft skin.

"No, just you."

Gem blushed as she could feel his warm hand on her cheek. They said nothing as they just stared into each other's eyes for almost five minutes, just relishing in the moment. Gem felt as if her heart was being tugged by a thousand small strings in all directions in her chest. Link felt the same as they were almost on the same mental wavelength. Within their moment, they didn't even notice the audience they had gained.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lincoln Henderson, the badass mutha fucka who lived the drop."

Link slowly moved his head to look behind Gem, where Derrick, Johan and Kenny stood, smiling smugly. But Gem and Link didn't care that they were watching, it was the happiest moment they had had in a long time. It made them feel like people again, and less like experiments, to share their true emotions with one another in one of the most intimate ways possible. So all Link did was give Derrick a slight nod as he swiftly moved his face back to Gem, where they continued their heated love session.

Johan and Derrick just looked at each other and shrugged in unison. The three soldiers chuckled as they left Gem and Link on the loading platform to finish what they had started and strolled their way back to the command deck through the cathedral like columns of shimmering pipes that stretched throughout the structure.

"How much longer you think they'll be out there?"

Derrick asked curiously.

"I have no idea. Let's let them have some time though. It has been a pretty rough past two days and they deserve their time alone. We all deserve some time to take a breather."

Johan said in a caring voice as he patted Derrick on the back with his massive hand.

"Yeah."

Derrick said softly, as he looked at the dog tags in his hand. The shimmering metal coin sized plates resting in his hand.

"We all need a break."

Time: 2523 January 20, 1100

Location: ONI Building, Reach

Dr. Halsey sat in her lab. No lights on. Complete darkness. Only the light from her one window shinned though a reticulated blind that sliced the light into little slivers that rained down onto the still silhouette of Halsey. The battle she had witnessed, the soldiers who fell, this wasn't what she had planed for the Agents or the rest of the UNMC. Halsey rubbed her forehead, and with a jerk to her right, she swung her leather chair back to her desk where she then tapped the glass panel. A slight hum indicated its activation before multiple screens light up. Two screens in particular flashed the vital signs of two agents, one that was green, a normal pulse, and the other showing major fractures all over the bones of the body along with multiple stab wounds. No doubt it was the agent that was dragged away. The other screens flashed of other Intel, some showing a constant array of ticker updates and experimental status'. One was a camera feed from the Cerberus training facility, where surveillance showed the many four by four cells that held the animals. Some barked uncontrollably while others sat in content, looking at the wall in front of them. The last screen was nothing more than just a basic program platform with a simple L.O.G. program waiting to be used. So with a stab from her pale hand, Halsey activated the program.

"Doctor Halsey, Log one."

Halsey sighed as she contemplated what to tell the inanimate computer.

"The Agents have done better than expected. Of course being put up against unyielding odds was one of the many tests they would be put up against, it was still hard to watch. Out of the original one hundred and one Agents in Unit Upsilon, ninety three remain."

Halsey tucked her head into her chest as she thought of the horrific death the eight unfortunate agents went through. But she had to continue her log.

"No physical problems yet. They seem to be in fit condition. But one has been showing signs of mental fatigue. Most likely from the mental enhancers."

Halsey lifted her PDA from her pocket and scrolled though the massive amounts of data within its memory, searching for possible leads. Flipping though files of the deceased Agents was bad enough, but it was soon made worse as her finger bumped the history file of an Agent know as Hilary Diego. She was eighteen, like the rest, but her file opened to her only known picture. From what it looked like, she was wearing a white dress, dancing with an older man. The file then pointed out that it was her father, Jorge Diego. It was her wedding. According to the file, she got married straight out of High School then went into the military soon after along with her husband.

This was too much. Halsey felt her heart race as she threw her PDA to the wall, smashing it into nothing more than bits of shining dust. As she let her rage out on the PDA, she cried into her hands, letting her medium length hair mix into the tears that flowed out of her eyes like torrents.

"I never wanted to ruin peoples lives! I just wanted to help end this fucking war!"

She screamed out, not remembering that she kept the recording program on.

"Its useless. The Cerberus, Agents, even the Spartans are doomed to death no matter what I do."

She said as she tried to pull herself back from the brink of a mental breakdown, and she did so with almost mechanical speed. Wiping the tears from her eyes and putting her hair behind her ears to try to regain her professionalism. With an outsized breath though her mouth, she sat back in her chair, the Leather rubbing up against her lab coat making a sound that only leather can make.

"Ahem. But the Agents are far from perfect. They need to be surveyed carefully for any defects that may transfer over to the Spartan threes. If we can find them now we can neutralize them and we can make sure that the next generation of Spartans will be spotless. End log."

Halsey again jabbed at the program, turning it off along with the other screens. Returning the room back into darkness where Halsey preferred to stay the next days in solitude, the sliced light trying desperately to fill the room as it ran through the blinds.

Time: 2523 January 20, 1220 ~ Afternoon

Location: Chemical Facility, New Jerusalem

Link and Gem sat together on the loading platform. Her head resting on his shoulder. In his life, he had never had a girl like him like this. Link had focused all his time into becoming a medic and controlling issues back on his family farm that he had lost track of taking care of himself. It was an odd time to have it though, to find love. But Link didn't know whether it was truly love or just impulse. He could care less though. Gem made him feel like nothing else had made him feel before, and that was good enough for him. Gem scooted her body closer to Link as they just stared into the blue sky. Nothing but the moment was in their minds.

"Link?"

Gem said, quietly under her breath. Link rolled his chin onto the top of her head.

"Yeah?"

"I want this to work. Us."

Gem lifted her head and looked at Link with those gorgeous eyes.

"Me too."

Link placed his hand on her cheek, and gave her a small peck on the lips. She pulled away slightly as she finished the kiss.

"You don't quiet understand, Link."

Link stopped mid thought, being yanked out of his mental sanctuary of joy.

"What do you mean?"

Links body began to tense up as he thought of possible reasons. None of them made him feel good.

"Oh god! Are you already with someone!"

Gem chuckled.

"No, its-"

"Its me isn't it."

Gem cocked an eyebrow and gave Link a small slap on the cheek. It was one of those slaps grandmothers give their grandchildren. Not meant to hurt, but just the act of them doing it is enough to bring the child to attention.

"We're different from normal Marines. The UNSC has made a huge investment in us. So, they don't like us to _intermingle._"

Link looked as Gem explained her thoughts. His facial expression was less than serious. His eyes slightly crossed, lips puffed, he was mocking her and she knew it.

"I need you to listen Link!"

Gem said as she poked him with a hard finger to the gut. He cringed as she prodded deep into his side.

"OUCH! Okay."

Gem pulled her finger away and stuck her tongue out in a playful manner.

"Thank you. Anyway, brass will not like two of their investments in a relationship."

"Oh, I see."

Link said in a very shallow manner. He didn't think of that, but she was right. Gem looked at Links eyes; his expression went from lighthearted to melancholy in the span of one sentence.

"Link, it wont changes our relationship at all. We just can't let it be known to the brass. That means everyone above Coronel rank."

Link thought for a moment.

"Okay, it will be tough but I think we can manage."

Gem smiled at Link, her porcelain teeth were perfectly straight, as if adjusted to fit in their proposed spots by some outside source. Link could only smile back as he brought her close and kissed her again on the lips. Was this really happening? Link mused over the events of the mission so far. How the Marines and Agents held out against the Innies for so long, how John left himself behind for Link's sake. Like a heart attack, Link suddenly remembered John and his dire situation. He sprang up from the loading docks and jumped to his feet, Gem temporarily loosing her balance seeing as though she was using Link to lean up against.

"Whoa! Link, what's wrong?"

Link held is head as if it was going to explode from the inside. He passed back and forth trying to think on how he could send help to John's location.

"Oh my lord, no! How could I have forgotten about him?"

Link interrogated himself. His eyes bugged out of his head, focused on some object that was not there.

"Who did you forget?"

Gem asked, fearing that something serious was about to happen.

"A man, a Marine, he told me to leave him behind so I could catch up with you guys but now that it seems that everything is okay, I should have went back for him! I have left him out there for too long! The Innies are going to find him! I need a warthog!"

Gem stood up, not knowing how to handle the situation and just decided to help Link instead of standing in his way.

"Uh, you'll need to talk to Coronel Rafter. He'll let you take a hog."

"So what is our next course of action?"

Derrick stood in front of the holo projector, leaning on the control consul with his wrists. Coronel Rafter stood on the opposite end of the deck, rubbing his forehead as he whispered commands into his headpiece. Hon Rafter wasn't old mentally, although he was getting into his middle ages. He wore a standard UNMC cap that covered his balding head and a tattered uniform that showed many years of combat. Needless to say he was a veteran. His face was wrinkled from the power of the many suns that had beaten it with their strong light. The skin of his face was tight but it looked too tight, stretched taught because of dehydration. Eyes, a pale brown, mixed into his face's burnt color, the only thing separating the two was the white of his eyes. And they too were dark from sun damage. He stood, holding his headpiece, darting his concentration back and forth to the deck to the voice on the other end of the transmission.

"We have had a lot of scans throughout the areas around the downed Pelicans. The packages are still there."

Johan stood with his arms crossed behind Derrick, listening to Rafter intently.

"That is our next target but we are not in a good situation as of now. We have lost a lot of Marines and from what it looks like, some Agents. We need reinforcements; about a hundred Marines should do it. Once we have those Marines, we'll acquire some air support and get those packages back. The Definer has pulled out so we will need to be quick with the air units. Those anti-air cannons were ripping her armor to pieces and I'm positive that they took out the Invasion force as well, correct?"

Derrick nodded to Rafter regretfully. Rafter sighed.

"Well, we'll need some sort of strike team to neutralize the air guns, then we can get those packages, once the air guns are down, it'll be smooth sailing."

Derrick and Johan nodded along with the other Marines in the room who held high ranks.

"Who will be the strike team?"

A Marine to Rafters left asked.

"We have a team of ODST's who are chomping at the bit to get in the battle. We'll drop them in and let them handle the guns. Hopefully they can find a way out and get back safe."

The Marines all nodded again, their judgment backing him. But Johan and Derrick stood solemn and quiet. They disagreed. Rafter noticed their discontent.

"Got something you want to say?"

Derrick put his weight onto his left leg and crossed his arms.

"It'll be a suicide mission. Those marines wont agree to it."

Rafter chuckled to himself.

"They volunteered."

This wasn't a surprise to anyone. ODST's gravitated towards missions of great difficulty. This specific mission was indeed a suicide mission.

"Anyway, back to the plan. Once we get the ordinance from those crates that were –"

Coronel Rafter was interrupted by a fast paced Link whose footsteps were loud enough to hear from the opposite ends of the hall. Link stopped when he reached the holo deck and saluted Rafter.

"Sir, IRC Medical Agent Lincoln Henderson, sir."

Rafter looked up confused to see Lincoln standing in front of him in such a manner. His body language indicated distress.

"At ease. What's wrong?"

Link lowered his arm back to his side where he couldn't help but keep it clenched.

"Requesting permission to use a hog sir."

"A warthog? Why do you need one?"

Link took in a breath though his mouth before explaining.

"When I was returning from the Pelican crash site me and a Marine were making our way here but he was hurt so he stayed behind. We need to go back there and find him."

The Coronel took off his hat and rubbed his bald scalp.

"What is his location?"

"Okay let me check."

Link pulled up the map feature in his helmet and scanned for the last place he remembered where John was. The map was hard linked to the Coronels data updater, which let the Agents and any trooper with E-map see constant battlefield updates. The status of John's area didn't look to good as a red cloud had amassed over his position. The red mark stretched for almost three miles, where it reached to completely envelope the entire east side of the map; which lead to the capitol. Link found it hard to swallow as he gave the coordinates to the Coronel. Once he received them, Rafter only sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"That Marine is in the Blackout Zone. The Innies are crawling all over that area and we can't send any forces in with confidence."

Link felt his eye twitch and his fist tighten.

"Without confidence?"

"I'm sorry, he is lost to the forest now."

Rafter only could look Link in the eyes for a few moments before averting them back to the holo deck. Link could feel his body surging with anger and he darted his head back to Derrick. Looking desperately for help in some way by flailing his arms out to his sides, presenting a face of disparity. Derrick only shrugged and crossed his arms. Link just rubbed his head and walked out of the room slowly. His eyes watering as Gem made her way into the room. As Link passed her, she grabbed his arm in attempt to stop him, but she didn't faze him as he went to the makeshift bunks for sleep. Gem watched as he went out of view and into the dark barracks.

"So it's a no go?"

Derrick sighed.

"Yeah Gem."

"Why don't we make some sort of charge tactic? We can get him if we go in force."

"That's it, in force."

Rafter replied. Gem's attention shifted to him.

"First of all, our man power is significantly weakened. If the Innies knew the state we we're in now, we would be dead in a day. Secondly, we can't sacrifice all of those men for one soldier. It's not logical. Henderson will need to just get over it."

Gem looked at her feet as she rubbed her bruised face.

"But if it wasn't for the courage of the many…"

Gem glanced at Derrick and Johan, smiling at them with her perfect smile.

"The weak will surely die."

Rafter's pale eyes submitted to her, but not for long as he continued to give orders and call in data.

"The decision is final, Agents. And Spartan. We are now on stand by for reinforcements. This base is in full defense lockdown until further notice. Dismissed."

END

A/N: Wow, sorry guys for the week and a day late chapter… I have been in a weird way as of late. My best friend's friend committed suicide so I had to be there for him. Most of you can understand that. But anyway, I don't mean to be a downer. ^_^' This chapter was fun to write cause the love interest has finally come to fruition! :D I likes me my romances. So yeah, that is all for today! Thank you my Bear cubs and to anyone who hasn't been to my FF yet, SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT! PLZZZZ! I might have trouble writing another chapter if no one comments. ;] check ya next Sunday!

Casey (Bearmaster) 


	11. Ch 6 Part 6: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Gore, Blood, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Part 6 ~ Combat, Love it or Hate it

Time: 2523 February 2, 0600

Location: Chemical Facility, New Jerusalem

The mornings of New Jerusalem were calm, as Link had already experienced. The gentle breeze of the air of the land brushed up against the tattered landscape. Trees surrounded the battleground and they rocked back and forth as the wind swept the forest's green hair.

Link sat alone on a decimated car that sat in front of the plant. It had burned during the battle, but the shape stayed the same. It shared resemblance to an ancient structure that didn't stand the test of time. With Links weight on the hood, it squeaked from the steel buckling. Link noticed that it could no longer hold his weight, so he got off of the car and investigated the land. The Marines were in the facility, constantly buzzing back and forth relaying data and information, defending the base, and doing their daily duties.

Link held the revolver that John had given him. From the logo and information on the weapons butt stock, it was a Smith and Wesson model 686 long barrel hand cannon, model year 2000. Link had been marveling in its greatness. It was over five hundred years old yet it looked as if it came out of the plant just a day before. Bloodstains and scratches had not tarnished the sterling shine and John's family had put some work into it. As Link investigated it he found that it held eight rounds. Different from the norm of seven rounds. The butt stock was modified and a small chip was implanted to allow user recognition. Luckily for Link, it didn't recognize anyone as its owner yet. Otherwise, the gun's butt stock would explode when fired by anyone except the authorized user. There were also slight cosmetic advancements like a laser target and improved sight.

Link couldn't look at it anymore; it made him think of John. He holstered the gun on his thigh. He pondered how much longer it would take to complete the mission. The thought of being blasted by MAC platforms brought chills to his body. That made him concerned. Why would the UNSC allow an entire planet like New Jerusalem to be leveled like that? Using defense platforms would destroy everything. The UNSC was trying to cover something up, thought Link as he rubbed his chin.

A shadow flew overhead and for an instant it blocked out the sun where Link was standing. Link glanced up and saw the Definer. It had been tattered and smacked around quiet a bit. But it had arrived to provide reinforcements. The massive bulk of metal was in a convoy of three frigates that descended fast. A gust of wind blew over the battlefield as the frigates kicked up anything that wasn't more than four hundred kilograms. The burnt car crept a meter foreword before launching off the pavement. Link stood and watched the car tumble for a couple of meters before decimating a road sign. Knocking the much flimsier object to the ground. Link looked back to the frigates as they were now only about a kilometer off the ground. The ships hovered before landing on the only open area of the battlegrounds "square". The engines were loud enough to piece through Links helmet, but they were muted to a slight buzz.

The sound of a warthog could be heard as the Frigates slowed their engines. A small force of three hogs spun around the corner of the square with Coronel Rafter in the front. They slammed to a halt as Rafter hopped out, standing much straighter than before. Link watched them from a distance, far enough to see but hidden. He noticed that Rafter seemed to be much more tense than how he saw before.

"Someone's about to get spanked."

Link thought out loud, and he was right. The hanger deck of the Frigate closest dropped slowly. A large force of Marines stood with a few tanks and Cyclops's in the middle. It wasn't much of reinforcements, and Rafter loosened his pose as he saw the inferior amount of soldiers provided. But at the front of the mass was one man; he stood statuesque amongst the fighters. His white formal military attire and cap showed signs of high rank. The four shimmering gold stars on his shoulders indicated his Major General rank. They were in the presence of one of the highest renowned military leaders in the UNSC. Major General Torrent. He rarely showed his aged face anywhere. Link tilted his head, why would he come here, he thought. The sheer presence of him made Rafter almost shit himself as he walked his short five-foot tall body off the platform as it reached the ground. Rafter swiftly stood upright as Torrent got to eye level.

Link watched as Torrent came into spitting range of the Coronel. He walked around Rafter and his posy of two high ranked marines as they tried to stand as still as possible. As he made a complete inspection, he stood in front of Rafter again. His cool and calm personality almost made him even fearsome because of his usual hot temper. Rafter began talking, Link was to far away to hear but he could put together what he was saying. Rafter was explaining to the Major General that the invasion force had failed. The Coronels body language indicated that he was about to get his head ripped off. Rafter finished as he pointed to the decimated and still smoldering Innie fortress. Torrent patted his shoulder, the Coronel loosened up a little. Link was glad as to see Rafter not punished for what happened, but was soon stunned. Torrent swiped his hand off of the Coronel's shoulder, whipped it back to his own five o'clock and brought upon the face of Rafter the hardest punishment he had ever seen. Rafters cap flew off and onto the ground as he quickly followed.

Link jumped, as he was not expecting the intense assault. He wasn't expecting that at all. Then Torrent jumped onto Rafter as he tried to regain his composure on the ground. But Torrent gripped the cuff of Rafters armor and with the same hand, punched the Coronel right in the jaw. A loud crack went over the field, and everyone watching cringed as they saw that he had broken the Coronels mouth. Rafter laid motionless on the ground as Torrent whipped his hand back for another blow, but restrained himself as one of Rafters cohorts grabbed his hand mid punch. Torrent shook off the marine, but didn't engage the Coronel again. He just stood over Rafters unconscious body, and with a rush of bodily movement, spat on Rafters face. What Link had just witnessed was the full extent of the Major Generals rage. Link didn't notice, but he was feeling bad for the Coronel, humiliated in front of his men like that.

Torrent then pointed to the Marine who was Rafters second in command. The Marines jumped and backed up a few feet as Torrent approached him. Link was far away, but his screaming could be heard still. Even past Links sound reducing helmet. The marine winced at every word he said until he pointed to his Comm's device. The marine shook as he tried to stir up Torrents rage. With a jab to the device, he gave a broadcast over all channels to the base, his voice shaking in fear.

"Attention! All Marines get ready to move! We begin the attack in one hour!"

Torrent nodded, as he was pleased with his work. He looked to his attack force that stood silently behind him and gave the signal to get settled in, which was just a slight jerk of his head to his right. Instantaneously, the force scurried off the platform, all of them avoiding the Major General as much as they could. After that performance, Link didn't blame them. As the forces from the Frigate mobilized into the facility, the entire structure became even more active then it was in the past two weeks. And Link felt like things were going to get deleterious as Rafter was now being dragged to the hog, where the Marines strapped his body into the seat and they drove back to the facility, trying to keep the remaining honor Rafter had.

As for Link, he stood in shock of what he had just seen. His mouth hung open, not knowing what to do. What else was there to do, but Link felt he should have intervened. He could have stopped the Major General from punching him at least. Link looked down to the revolver, then back to the facility. There wasn't any time to lose, he thought. Link began to run back to the facility but would forget what happened to Rafter though, things like that stay with you. The image of his jaw shattering to Torrents firm fist and the sound it made was horrible. Then to be humiliated in front of your men, no one deserved to get that punishment. No one.

Time: Unknown

Location: Unknown

The large Sangheili roamed the halls of her ship. The walls resonated the purple and pink color as the light shined from the lighting strips of the ceiling. Small platoons of Unggoy waddled their way down the halls with their leader keeping them close. The Sangheili captain, clad in red armor, bowed his head in her presence and the Unggoy quickly fallowed suit, although some of them tripped over their own feet in the process causing the entire platoon to topple over on each other. They squeaked and barked at each other in their native language as they began a small squabble, throwing tiny fists and kicking at the nearest partner. Their leader didn't notice the fighting until the golden armored Ship Mistress passed. Although honor bound, the male Sangheili couldn't help looking at her in a lustful manner. But he was soon snapped out of his trance by a methane tank to the face. The tank bashed the leader mandible, causing him to chip a few teeth. He roared at the little creatures to get back into line, but they didn't listen.

The Ship Mistress kept walking. She didn't have time to partake in any minor squabbles, especially that were concerning low grade Unggoy. She hated the little monsters for their inability to act under pressure and they constantly disappointed her in battle by running in spineless manner or urinating themselves. But somehow she kept a tight ship. The ship she owned was an emperor class Supercarrier, the largest ship class in the Covenant Navy. The Untamed Glory. It was almost unheard of to have a female Sangheili running a ship of that size, even more so a ship in general.

The Ship Mistress thought of what to do with her ship. Not all of her crew were fond of having a female run the ship, especially the Jiralhanae. They would growl at her when she passed and sometimes would send malicious threats to kill her if she didn't command the ship a certain way. But it was futile because she would punish the furry bastards if they even came close. On one occasion, a Jiralhanae tried to corner her in a hallway. He was equipped with a plasma cannon and a modified gravity hammer while she was equipped with a carbine with one charge. His smell was horrible and that is what gave him away before he attacked. As he lunged at her with the hammer, she ducked and rolled out of the way. As he saw that she evaded his attack, he took the plasma cannon from his side and shot three rounds at her, but all missed as she got extremely close to him, the carbine up against the back of his skull. With three shots he fell. It was easy for her. From that point on the Jiralhanae were in line, somewhat.

The Ship Mistress pondered over her armor. The gold color shined in the light and the blue details stood out from the metallic background; strips of blue that went down her arms, legs, and chest. The headdress was different from the male Ship Master's. Instead of the two blades that cut out form the sides, there were three long spikes that stretched from where her ears would be to her upper back. Where they became something similar to a chain link once it reached the shoulders, shimmering with the light and swaying back and forth with every step. The shark fin like blade on the top was replaced with a flat disc that was in a crescent moon shape with the opening facing the front. As for the rest of the armor, it was almost identical to the male Ship Master's, but instead of being angular like the males it was very curved. The armor allowed for her different body shape as well, making more room in the chest and smaller thigh plates. She felt slightly insulted too not receive the same armor as the males but soon put it to rest, as she couldn't change the minds of the Prophets.

"Ah! Ship Mistress Jol'roo."

Another Sangheili confronted the Ship Mistress as she walked into the ship's main observatory. The view of the dark void of space was glorious. This high-ranking soldier wore red armor and in the configuration of a Zealot, lightweight and durable. The soldier bowed his head and tucked his right arm into his stomach, their version of a salute. At least ten feet tall, he stood well over two feet past the Ship Mistress.

"Commander Var'su. I'm glad to see you in fit condition."

The Zealot smiled as he straightened his back. Var viewed himself as a humble servant of the Ship Mistress and to get a compliment from her was all that he needed to keep living.

"Ship Mistress, you know me better than that. My name is Skoi, only to you of course."

Var'su smiled again. He was always kind to everyone and that's what made him weak. Although he was the Commander of the entire Zealot forces on Jol'roos ship, he would always find himself getting backlash for treating his forces with affection instead of discipline.

"You know me better too Commander, call me Kirra."

They both chuckled as Kirra felt slightly awkward about telling Skoi her real name, although Skoi had practically been her right hand with every action she did since she was deemed Ship Mistress, which was about ten lifecycles.

"How are your units, Skoi? I hope they are to proper standards."

Skoi stiffened as he could hear two of his Unggoy troopers poke at his legs.

"Commander! Fur Yap is taking my nipple time again!"

Said one of the Unggoy as he sobbed into his facemask. The other just shoved him by the Methane tank and growled.

"Shut up, fatrump! You don't need all of that nipple time! Stop being a child and lose a few pounds!"

The two tossed back and forth grunting and squawking as Skoi's face became red in mortification. His skin was a dark gray, but the color poked out anyway. Kirra just sighed and placed her face into her hand, rubbing her eyes. As she stewed, Skoi turned and knelt down to the Unggoy.

"Hey, why don't you two settle this with the Secondary Commander, hu?"

The two didn't stop brawling with each other as the Commander talked. The Unggoy just toppled over as they fought, like turtles trying to kill each other while on their backs.

"Meh!"

"Sec Com can't tell his ass from his elbow!"

"I wanted to tell you, Commander. Ouch! Why you bite me?"

The two just rolled on the floor, wrestling as Skoi looked over his shoulder to Kirra, her face still buried in her palm.

"Listen, how about you both can have extra time with the… Nipple. I'm busy right now, okay?"

The two stopped their battle as they tried to work their way off the floor. Once up, they nodded and waddled away, still squawking at themselves over unimportant issues as the Commander stood trying not to let Kirra see his shame.

"You wont get any respect if you treat them like children, Skoi."

Kirra said as she sighed, trying to not let her anger unleash on the Zealot. She stood with her weight on her right leg, in a very unimpressed manner. Commander Skoi only shrugged, trying to gather what respect Kirra had for him.

"Well, we treat them like slaves. I don't want my soldiers to feel like slaves, Kirra. It's bad enough the Jiralhanae abuse them, why make it harder for them?"

Skoi said, his intent pure. Kirra didn't bother to listen; she had heard the same argument time and time again. Kirra just patted Skoi on the shoulder as she passed him, continuing her inspection.

"Just don't let them take advantage of your good intent. I don't want to have to replace you."

Kirra said coldly as she made her way down the observatory. The Zealot stood looking at the Ship Mistress as she vanished from view down the almost endless observatory section. With a sigh, he turned to the large glass wall that separated him from the void of space. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint Kirra and it had been his mission for the length of his journey with her. But he found ways to make her agitated and he didn't want to bring that upon her. The Commander cared for her too much and he would gladly become a heretic, drop the entire bounds and lifestyle of the Covenant, for her if it meant keeping her happy.

Time: 2523 February 2, 2000

Location: New Jerusalem, Chemical Facility Command Hall

"Head officer on deck!"

In an instant, the room filled with chatting Marines and Agents went silent. The entire gathered force of almost one hundred fighters stood stiff as steel as the Major General came with his legion of white-suit wearing politicians. Link, Johan, and Derrick stood at the front of the crowd as they were chosen to be SOI, or Soldiers of Interest for the up and coming attack. Torrent walked slowly, almost as if he was waltzing with an invisible woman, darting back and forth between the command deck and the troops, still not letting them sit down.

"You may sit, people."

The room loosened and sat in their chairs, but the room was still silent.

"We have come a long way with this attack, and I'm proud of you all. But Operation Trebuchet does not include half done jobs."

Link brought his leg over the other, waiting to here Torrent continue.

"We are in grasp of taking back the planet, but this is where it's going to get hairy."

The Major General was cut-off by a Marine, maimed by battle before and in an arm cast.

"Sir. Major Franko."

"Speak freely."

Torrent crossed his arms.

"We have seen a lot already and NOW it's going to get hairy? What are we expecting to see in the next advance?"

Torrent shifted his weight as the pack of troopers whispered to each other. They agreed with him as the battle beforehand weakened them all very much.

"Okay, I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. We are going to go full force tomorrow and get those supplies. If we don't obtain them by the next day, we're going to level everything."

The reaction from the group was huge. The time they had to complete the mission was cut in half. Some Marines and Agents stood in protest as they screamed at the Major General. They shouted words of insult to him that not many people would ever hear in their lives while others just cried out for proper justice.

"How do you expect the rest of the colonies to take this!"

"We have to save the civilians!"

"Why would you kill the innocent!"

The words blended together into one white noise and Torrent just took it. Like a wall his expression didn't change at all. Link found it discomforting that he would be so calm to receive that kind of reaction but also that he was affluent on killing the entire planet. Torrent lifted his arms to the crowd asking for quiet. The soldiers became quiet after ten minutes of protest and they sat down in their seats, most glaring at Torrent.

"It must be done. I cannot give you the details, but it will give us incentive to get those packages and take the capitol back. If we cannot achieve those goals, the planet is lost."

Unlike before, the room was silent. The soldiers were now focusing on the fact that the pressure was on them now. It was up to them to do the legwork and complete the mission, it was their job to save the civilians and the entire colony.

"Battle details will be given to you by your leading officer in your unit tonight and tomorrow by sunrise, we move out."

The crowd sat in muteness, not knowing what to say. Link was curious though, the mission was important, but he had some questions.

"Sir!"

Link stood, wearing his black and green armor. The mass then focused on him and the Major General.

"Yes?"

Torrent asked in annoyance.

"What happened to Coronel Rafter, sir?"

The Major General chuckled as he glanced to his white shiny shoes that reflected the light of the cheap ceiling lights of the room. Then he glanced back to Links side arm, the revolver that also shined from the light of the room.

"I felt his talents were needed somewhere else."

Link squinted at Torrent, knowing the truth what had actually happened.

"Was that before or after you broke his jaw?"

Link snapped at Torrent. In shock, Torrent looked at Link and stepped closer to him, getting into Links personal space. The room got strained as everyone knew of the Temper of Torrent. The two locked eyes as Link felt the intensity of his glare burning into his very brain.

"I transferred him. I felt his talents were useful somewhere else."

Link didn't move his stare but he felt something tugging at his arm. Link averted his eyes, as much as he didn't want to, to see Derrick pleading him to sit down. Link tugged his arm away, and sat down heavily. The chair even shifted back a few inches from the force. Torrent stepped back and dismissed the rest of the group. Many of the Marines sighed in relief that the meeting didn't end in a brawl or massive confrontation.

After about an hour of contemplating, Johan and the two Agents went to the makeshift mess hall where they sat secluded from the other Marines. The hall was full of chatting marines, but there was an overtone of trepidation as the day to come was approaching ever so slowly.

Link stared at his food; it didn't look appetizing after the meeting. All he could think about was how Torrent tired passing everything off as if it was some sort of planned transfer when he knew the truth.

"Why did you stop me Derrick?"

Link asked as he pushed his plate away, the food making an unsettling squashing noise. Derrick was shoveling his food in as fast as he could without breathing and Link was shocked to see someone down his or her food so fast. With a huge gulp, he finished the MRE pork chop that had been demolished in seconds.

"I talked to Torrent just before the meeting."

He took a swig of water from his glass as he tried to catch his breath from his eating spree.

"He wanted to make you lead medic during the attack. That's why you were an SOI like Johan and me. Johan is gonna lead the Marines while I lead the other Agents. You will be the leader of the medics giving commands."

Derrick was a notorious body talker. As he spoke, he would move his hands about according to what he was saying. He mostly made small circles with his hands while describing that would lead what units. While Johan said nothing and just kept eating.

"Wait, I'm leading the medics?"

Derrick nodded as he chugged more of his water.

"Why would he want me to lead the medics? He hasn't seen me in battle yet nor have I helped anyone significant."

Derrick finished his water and placed the cup onto the table. He looked at Link with a big smile.

"You know how our helmets have these lights right here?"

Derrick pointed to the little circular buttons on his helmet. They were right on where the jaw would be and below the visor.

"Yeah, so?"

"Right below the right light is a camcorder."

Derrick then pointed to the other small circle right below the other. The helmet was a-symmetrical in the fact that only one side had the camera. Link crossed his arms.

"So he saw what I did. Helping the Marine."

"From what he told me, yes. He said that you did a fantastic job with what time you had, and you made the right choice. I don't know what that means but I'm sure you do."

Link looked into his lap. So he made the right choice to leave John in the forest, but why did he feel that it was the wrong choice?

"Come on Link, I need to give ya a crash course in how to lead a unit. Nothing big, but stuff you need to know before we move out tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay."

Link and Derrick stood, leaving Johan at the table to finish his food.

There was a lot of pressure on Link and Derrick. They were now the leaders of a complete platoon of soldiers. It was a compelling feeling that Link never had before.

"Oh shit! Where is Gem going to be?"

Link cursed because he wanted to make sure that she would be okay during the attack.

"She is going to be with me and my unit. I'll keep an eye on her."

Derrick winked at Link as they made their way back to the bunks. The room where the soldiers slept looked like huge gymnasium than a barracks. The room was filled wall to wall with bunks and they went about three to four bunks tall. The lighting was also very weak from low power and small floor lights were used to illuminate the path. Link and Derrick were close to each other by about two bunks apart.

"Okay, Link, get whatever you need, were going to go outside for a while."

Link nodded as he went to his bunk, small for his stature, but it was good enough. In his footlocker, there was his Jackal Staff and Javelin Rifle waiting sitting perfectly next to each other. Link reached in and pulled out his Rifle. With a jerk, he cocked the clip into the loading socket. It was time to get some payback, for all the people who had died, Link thought. He slapped the Rifle to his back and attached his Staff to his side, along with the Med-kit that he put onto his back. He was ready.

"You ready?"

Derrick asked as he cracked his knuckles. Link turned to Derrick, and with a slap to his chest plate armor he nodded like a bird.

"Yeah, lets go."

END

A/N: Meh. This chapter I am not as pleased as the others. Not much else to say but I liked what I did with the Covie characters as of now. I wanted to make the storyline more diverse and add them in there cause I didn't just want to make it about the Human struggles. But those Sangheili characters will also become very important to the story. But now that things are getting a little more crazy with the Agents, I will focus more on them until the insanity is over. So anyway, I'm super stoked McGoats that I got this chapter out on time and not like last time. ¬.¬ SO yeah! Thanks to all my Bear cubs for being awesome! Also, to all new people and anyone who hasn't SUBSCRIBED or COMMENTED, please, do it for Gem. She says she wants you to comment. ^_^ lol see ya all next Sunday! Peace out.

Casey (Bearmaster)


	12. Ch 6 Part 7: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Violence, Blood, etc.)

By Casey Riffel

Chapter 6

Part 7 ~ Combat, Love it or Hate it

Time: 2523 February 3, 0500

Location: North forests of New Jerusalem

The snarl of Warthog engines blared through the forest. The crisp air split as the metal jaguars tore through the vegetation. Over time, the road that had been a bustling city street had become overgrown in a matter of weeks. The planet had an overactive natural growth system due to the introduction of non-local species of plants from colonization. The way the planet grew, maintenance was constant and a missed shift meant hours of repairing overgrowth damage. The only thing that was visible from the original road was a small strip of the road that was cleared by the Innies to use as a means of transport. It led straight to the downed pelicans and to the Capitol City.

There were ten Warthogs total; two transport hogs at the back carrying five Marines each, a heavy hog with a Argent V missile rack on its back with three Marines up in front, five regular with three Marines each in the middle, and two Gauss hogs in front with three Marines each. Link and the entire Medic core were in the two transports in the back. Link sat in the passenger seat of the front most transport and looked behind him to the other medics of both hogs. With a glance he could see that it was a mixed bunch of individuals. Marines, ODSTs, Agents, all of them ready.

"Everyone!"

Link said into his intercom. The group of medics stopped their preparations in their seats to look at Link. The medics had their own intercom channel for specific uses like asking other medics for advice on patents. He stuck his knee into the seat and held onto the roll bar. He remembered what Derrick had taught him about being a leader, you must be strong for you troops, be the wall that they need. Link laughed thinking about how quickly Derrick had changed. But there was no use thinking about it now. The one thing he thought about was to be strong, be what they needed him to be.

"The ODST's have done their job and stalled the Anti-air and we have our chance to get an upper hand on the Innies. We are going to secure the front most package with the assistance of the Haymaker."

Link pointed to a Frigate that dwelled overhead and it spat rounds from its small weapons at the target that the team approached.

"Marines are already on the ground and fighting their way to the package, our job is to fight with them. No man left behind, we medics are the personification of that saying, and we are the personification of the Marine Core! So lets kick some Innie ass!"

"Semper Fi!"

The Marines responded with courage in their voices. Link was proud of himself as he sat back down into his seat although his hands shook. It was Links first time addressing a team and he wasn't sure how to feel about it, scared, excited, or petrified. The road was bumpy and on many occasions during his speech he was almost ejection-seated out of the hog if it wasn't for the roll bar he held onto.

The forest began to clear as the noise of the battle could be heard getting closer. Civilians ran in the opposite direction the Hogs were going, they carried all that they could carry that belonged to them and it was morbid. Some carried their personal belongings, while others like one man in particular, carried their dead children. This man sobbed as he held from what it looked like a small boy in his arms, chard from being burnt alive. Link looked away as the boys' arm drooped over his body and dangled in the air and the cries of the man muffled as the caravan could now see the battle directly in front of them. Link turned on his microphone again and turned it to Constant Channel One. The only channel the UNMC used for radio communication while still being able to talk normally. Since the jammer was destroyed inside the Innie fortress back at the Chemical Facility battle, the radio was crystal clear.

"That is what we're here to stop! Lets end it here!"

Link said to his team.

"OORAH!"

The Marines responded as the hogs slammed on their brakes, the battle was in full swing as the Medics demounted the Hogs and the other battle ready vehicles charged foreword into the fray. The battlefield was odd to say the least. The trees provided natural cover while the buildings that were grown over provided bunker like protection. Just like before, there had been a division in the field with the UNMC on one side and the Insurrectionists on the other. In the clearing, there it sat. The downed pelican, its wings blown to pieces and the crates sitting next to the cargo hold. Like a fallen angel the pelican sat in the one beam of light that was able to pierce the dense forest tops.

The Innies figured what was hidden and they too were now after the prize of ordinance. Link bolted away from the Hog as a bullet bounced off the metal plating, the medics soon followed suit as a hail of bullets came down upon them.

"Are you ready?"

Link yelled to the medics as he stood with his shield already withdrawn. He deflected some of the rounds away and stood in front of the Marines that had no yet taken their supplies off of the Hogs. They rushed and their fear could be seen as they shook trying to take their supply bags off the racks. Link deflected a bullet that rebounded into the Hogs armor next to him, and with a grunt he called to the Marines as he held his arm to provide extra support, his strong legs bracing his bodies recoil from the rounds. The Marines soon got their equipment ready as they made a quick dash to the sand bagged wall that had been blown to pieces by some cataclysmic explosion.

"Lets go!"

Link roared as he blocked the bullets from hitting his medic comrades with his shield, leading the way. The smaller medics were out in front as they slid to the sand bags and out of danger as Link defended the others who carried larger equipment. Link pointed to ground to where the Marines need to stand behind the cover so they all could fit behind the insufficient cover. Link slammed his shoulder into the wall as the sand bags barely covered his head. He panted as he saw the Marines all readying their weapons. Links shield returned to normal as he took the shimmering pistol off his thigh, loading it with the eight rounds it needed. With a flick of his wrist, the cylinder clicked into place. Link sighed as he peaked over the cover to see that the Marines were stationed about a kilometer away with only small amounts of rock and overturned car cover.

"Fuck, that's not good."

Link snipped to himself. But as he looked into the field, he saw areas of interest. For one, a Scorpion tank had been demobilized, its front treads shattered from a mine, and it sat a good distance away from the Forward Operating Base. A Marine was using it as cover as he pelted rounds into oncoming Innies as another soldier lay next him holding his shoulder. Using his binocular feature of his helmet, Link zoomed to the soldier to see that he had been clipped. Links mind then started to work in overdrive.

"Downed Marine next to tank, one still up, they can't stay there for much longer."

Link thought to himself. A distant voice caught Links attention. Another encampment of soldiers in a small bunker was pelted with grenades in an Innie advance, and Link could hear the shrikes of pain.

"Emplacement, unknown amount injured. We'll split up!"

Link devised the plan as he pulled one of the Medics over to him. Link pointed to the bunker and grabbed four of the Marines. With a snap of his middle finger and thumb, he got the attention of the rest of the medics.

"You four, your with me. You five, you're going to the other bunker. Fix up anyone you can find and bring them to cover, primarily the F-O-B if possible. Once we spilt your on your own, got it?"

Link had to yell over bullets kicking up the sand bags next to him but the Marines understood as they nodded. The five others went down the path to the right of their cover that lead behind the rubble of shattered buildings, it was enough to provide cover to get to the bunker.

Now it was just Link and the four medics. Link jerked his head as he deployed his shield again, moving back into the range of Innie snipers. Almost instantly, the rebels began hurling hot lead at the glowing shield, just what Link wanted.

"Go NOW!"

He yelled to the medics as the distraction was working. Link sidestepped to his left, luring the attention away from the Medics who made their way down the front path, loading any Innie with rounds that would see them. Link could feel his shields draining with every deflection, and each throw back was enough to shatter a lesser man. Link kept his eyes on the shield meter that was now beeping red.

"Shit!"

Link said as his shield crashed pushing him back a few feet. In response, he dove to cover to avoid enemy fire. The only thing he could find in the millisecond he had was an overturned bench that was green by the overgrowth. Link slid on his belly as his armor scrapped against the asphalt ground to get to the bench. The sound of the metal scraping against the ground was able to piece the placid environment of the helmet. Even though he dove with a lot of force he still came up short of the bench and he clawed at the ground to get to it. Bullets grazed his armor and one sniper round nicked his arm right arm around the outer elbow, tearing a small patch from his under suit.

"Argh! Goddamn!"

Link grunted as he took cover behind the bench, letting his shields recharge. The volley of bullets came down upon the bench and the reverberations of the bullets pushed the titanium seat back as Link dug his shoes into the dirt to keep it from moving. His heart pumped faster than ever and it felt good as the adrenaline coursed through his body, tuning out the pain of his injury. It was an unfamiliar feeling to have that kind of resolve, Link thought. Being able to distract legions of rebels and take fire was not his forte. But he recalled how the augmentations had changed him; maybe it had changed his personality as well.

For a while the rebels shot with horrible aim at the titanium seat, although the bench covered him completely. The constant attacking made it impossible for Link to see the status of the team. Link then pushed his earpiece and yelled to over power the sound of the bullets.

"Tank team, status!"

After a slight silence, the voice of one of the medics came on.

"Sir! We got to the tank!"

Link sighed in relief and kept his finger on the radio.

"Great! How are the injured?"

"Fine sir, they just need to be taken into a safer area to be worked on. Its nothing serious, just a bullet wound and dislocated shoulder."

The medics have seen everything on the field, so something like a dislocated shoulder was nothing compared to the other things they have seen.

"Okay! Good, uh-m, get them back to a suitable location and begin working on him. What is the bunker teams status?"

The other team didn't respond.

"Bunker team, status!"

"Were here sir, its… really bad."

"How bad?"

Link asked. The Marine's voice shook, as he couldn't quite contemplate what he was seeing.

"Uh-m…Texas Chainsaw Massacre bad… Sir…"

Link cocked an eyebrow, as he had never heard of that expression before.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

Link roared into the radio. On the opposite end for the radio, the medic coughed from the stench of dead humans. The bunker had been used more than once for an unknown amount of time and the dead within the bunker were at least a week old.

"Sir, please, no one is alive. This location is lost, we need to get out of here!"

A bullet ricocheted off the bench and caused Link to duck his head closer to the ground.

"Okay, get back to the F-O-B. But before you leave, grab the tags of our guys and see if you can find any kind of identification for the rest."

Another silence came over the radio; the sound of the medic coughing from the smell was the only sound that could be heard.

"Houggggh! Okay sir, we'll try…"

Link sighed as he realized his position was no longer secret. For the time he had been giving orders, his shields had completely recharged, their status was good and blue.

"AH! Great!"

Link said as he put his knee to the ground, looking around for a better place for cover. The route the Bunker team took was good enough but it was a small distance away, about one hundred feet. With a jolt of energy, Link sprang from the bench's cover and began to sprint to the cover. There was no time to use the arm shield so he just put all his energy to the sprint, letting the shield cover him normally. The Innies spotted him easy but his speed was outmatched for any shooter and every bullet seemed to just fall short of his feet, each bullet kicking up the dirt and asphalt. Link was able to swing into the cover, letting the walls of concrete and sandbags take the blunt of the fire. Link stopped to catch his breath as he planned his next route.

Link looked up to the Haymaker, it shelling massive rounds into the Innie main base, doing minimal damage. The encampment was so heavily fortified that the heavy cannons on the Frigate only would slightly faze the rebels. Link then remembered the armaments of the Frigates, especially the massive weapon it had on board. One heavy hitting Magnetic Accelerator Cannon that could level any structure and reduce it to only cinders and dust. Link then changed his radio channel to the UNSC channel, the channel that allowed communication to command.

"This is AGENT O dash five-six-zero-zero requesting permission to talk to Captain of the Haymaker!"

Link said into his microphone as he traveled down the path the first medic team descended. As far as he knew, he was safe from enemy fire, but kept his Javelin rifle across his stomach, finger on the trigger.

"Patching you through."

A mans voice said, as serious as could be.

"This is Captain Moore, go ahead Agent."

"Sir, how many rounds you have for the M-A-C Gun?"

"We have one round. "

"One round?"

Link said, that was the kind of bombshell he didn't want. One round wouldn't be nearly enough to do any real damage.

"Yes, Agent, only one. And we will need clearance from Command for firing in Atmosphere. But we will get clearance soon; your Commanding operative needs to give the coordinates to us once a target is optimized. We came ill-equipped for this mission."

"Yeah! Obviously! Where is Derrick when you fucking need him?"

Link said as he got down to the lower level of the emplacement as the first team of medics were just getting out of the disheveled encampment. They were running towards the same direction Link was.

"Sir! We got the dog tags and identifications. Ten Insurrectionists…"

The ODST stopped mid sentence.

"And five Marines. All KIA as we know."

Link sighed as he bowed his head.

"Shit…"

"We'll bring these tags back to base, they'll know what to do with them."

Link looked back the doorway to the encampment. A small trickle of blood rolled out, the origin of what body unknown.

"Good. And even if those others in there were Innies, no one deserves to die without a proper ID."

"But sir they were-"

"I don't give a shit about whether or not they were Insurrectionists or not. They were human and deserve better than that. Got it?"

Link said, as he got closer to the medic holding the tags and IDs. Although younger, Link was much more intimidating.

"Y-yes sir."

The Marine said reluctantly. Link rubbed his chin before pressing his radio again.

"O dash six-five-nine-zero, come in, this is O dash five-six-zero-zero."

There weren't many far locations Derrick could be, but he was out of range for any type of IFF pick up on Links visor. After some static feedback, a reply came through.

"Hey, Lincoln! Where are you?"

Derricks unsettlingly cheery voice range through Links earpiece and to the misfortune of Link, his headset's volume was on high. Derricks voice sliced through Links head like a shrill blizzard gust on Harvest. It was enough that Links head tilted at the sound and his eyes bugged from the shock.

"What ya need?"

Link cleared his throat as he turned his headsets volume down by a couple notches.

"I need you to confirm the structure over there to be hit with the M-A-C. Once the round hits the structure, that will give us-"

"That will give us enough cover to grab the package?"

Derrick interrupted Link but was spot on with his judgment. Link then looked around quickly, looking to see if he could spot Derrick.

"Where are you anyway?"

"Heh. Look at the SATCOM tower behind the F-O-B. I'm at the top."

Link looked behind the moss-covered structure to see a massive satellite that was slowly being taken over by the forest. At least a kilometer tall, the satellite was still not big enough to fight the forest's embrace. The horn of the satellite was broken and dangling by only the green vines that the forest was full of. But at the very top peak of the dish was a sided platform, big enough for one person to do repairs. Derrick was on that platform, his front leg on the front railings that pushed his back onto the back railings. He was, at first glance, completely invisible. The shadows of the trees and the calligraphic patterns of the sun's light that did shine through made him an almost impossible target to see.

"What you doing up there?"

The question seemed to answer itself.

"Perfect vantage point, great to give orders from, and-"

Derrick shot a round from his sniper down onto the Innie base.

"Almost impossible to find."

"Well that is all well and good but where is Gem and Kenny? What about Johan? What happened to them?"

Derrick repositioned himself as he took another shot, the sniper recoil barely moving him.

"They're down at the F-O-B, they have been giving me constant updates on the situation. So far, we're fine."

Link sighed as he held the radio button on his helmet, the medics waiting for an order.

"Get that MAC positioned to fire. Tell Gem and Kenny and any Agents to form up on the lower section of the base and signal me when the M-A-C is ready to fire. We'll take that package back and finish the mission, got it?"

Link said into his microphone. Derrick didn't respond as he fired three consecutive shots. All he did was look at Link and the medics he nodded in their direction.

"Alright team, get to the F-O-B. Once we're there, do what you can for anyone who needs it. Once Derrick gives the signal that the M-A-C is going to fire, come to me. I'm going to gather what Agents I can and we're going to push. Got it?"

"Sir yes sir!"

The team responded as they began sprinting to the structure where the other Marines were. Link could feel his heart pounding even though he was at a resting state. The push was going to be harsh.

"I hope that package is worth something."

END

A/N: I'm dreadfully sorry about the quality of this chapter. Last night (Saturday night) my dog had a seizure. I was supposed to finish it then but you could tell I had something to attend to. Its only getting worse as well, he had another seizure this morning and it was baaaaad. He's old so I figured that something was going to happen. But it doesn't make it less sad though. Sorry for the depressing update but I will try to get the next chapter out again on time. Peace out people.

Casey (Bearmaster)


	13. Ch 6 Part 8: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Mans True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Part 8 ~ Combat, Love it or Hate it

Time: 2523 February 3, 0525

Location: North Forests of New Jerusalem

"Lincoln! Is your team ready?"

Derrick yelled over his radio as he shot down at the rebels as they rushed forward. Link was with a group of more than twenty Marines and Agents. Gem nowhere to be found, but Kenny with his unmistakable orange armor at the front.

"Almost!"

Link raised his hand signaling to Derrick to hold, putting up his index and middle finger.

"According to our communications, the other teams are close to getting the packages, once we get them, its going to be a sprint from here on out to the Capitol. We need to push them back as far as we can and with the contents of the three packages, we should be able to blow the Capitol to kingdom come."

Link clenched his fist, cracking his knuckles in the progress and looked to the pelican that sat in the middle of the field, constantly getting pinged by oncoming bullets.

"This wont be an easy push. It is about a kilometer to the Capitol and the path is littered with Innies. But it is time we stop them here-"

"This is the Haymaker, firing F-P-F one!"

Link jumped as the Captain said over the radio.

"WHAT! Your firing now?"

Link roared into his microphone.

"We got clearance and we were told by command to fire on the coordinates provided. Firing in five-four…"

Link could feel his body become light as air as his heart kick started into overdrive. The Haymaker hovered overhead and the main gun started to hum, sending off golden and bright orange shocks from the front.

"Everyone get down!"

Link said as he slammed behind the cement wall he was standing behind. The others didn't have such a comfort and they could only fall to the ground like limp noodles.

"Firing the M-A-C Gun!"

As the Captain gave his order, the Haymaker sent out a shock wave of sound. Like two Elephant Trash trucks colliding at speeds of immeasurable proportion. First it was like the sound of a thousand birds congregating as the cannon charged then a sound that could break glass reverberated off the soundings. And in an instant, a golden tungsten slug, the size of a large car came tearing through the tree cover of the dense forest. Almost like a flash, the round punched the Innie location with such force that the grounds itself waved like the ocean for more than two kilometers long and even going to the UNMC side of the field, disheveling the immobile tank like a pool toy. The concrete foundations crumbled as the structure was now unsupported by any solid foundation. Smoke filled the air as if a nuke had gone off, spewing dirt and ruble all over the field. Link kept his visor shut as the dust tried to work its way into his helmet. As the smoke lingered, Link braced himself again and slapped his radio.

"Derrick! Auugh! Are you okay up there?"

"Yeah!"

Derrick responded as he held onto the side railing for dear life.

"It smacked around the tower though, almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I KNOW, ME TOO!"

Link said in an incredibly high pitch, a pitch that made his voice crack. The Marines sprawled across the ground, trying to regain their feet after the blast but it was time to move.

"Come on! Time to get that package!"

Link said as he still held his ears shut, the ringing sensation was splitting through the hard bones of his head. The others did the same, trying to regain their composure as they began to charge the package. But the sensation went away once snipers began picking off unshielded Marines. It was like a gauntlet, as the Marines made their way to the middle of the field, there were legions of dug-in rebels. They hid in abandoned cars or nooks that were big enough to squeeze into.

"Why did you authorize that M-A-C strike without telling us, Derrick? It would have been nice to get some warning!"

"I didn't! According to the Captain, Command gave them the target. I didn't use my target locator or anything!"

Derrick said as he repositioned himself on the tower. The clip dropped from his sniper and with a click he slapped a new one in.

"Urrg!"

Link said as he shot a rebel that stood in his way.

"Why are they being so sneaky!"

Link yelled as he slammed an Innie in the face with the brunt side of his elbow. Breaking the rebels standing point and sending him to the ground as he held his face in pain.

The Agents took action as the sensation subsided in their skulls and with a flick of their wrists, the mass amounts of shimmering blue shields turned on, mixed with the solid colors of the Marines. With controlled round placement, the Agents worked together with the Marines to minimize casualties, as the Agent provided shieling the Marine would use the Agent as cover, killing anyone threatening them.

Link had his revolver out and loaded. It fired slowly; you had to manually pull the cocking mechanism back for each fire. But the sheer power of the gun was enough to knock anyone to their ass, except of course for the genetically enhanced soldiers that were now filling the ranks. The first time Link fired it, the recoil was so intense that the gun leapt of out his hand and pistol-whipped him in the face. Luckily, the others were too busy with their own troubles to mind the impending fail Link had preformed.

The solid red cross on the visor seemed to fluctuate as Link ran forward, the sound of the Marines behind him like a stampede. Derrick did what he could in the top of the satellite by picking off any of the rebel snipers. It was hard though, seeing as they had just as much cover that he did. Finding one of the snipers was a waiting game, wait until the flash of the sniper gave off their position then send a round to them. As all soldiers know, snipers are some of the most dangerous fighters on the field, one shot and you're dead. So to have a skilled sniper like Derrick up in that vantage point was reassuring.

"Come-on!"

Link said as the Pelican was now only thirty meters away. The Marines pushed and tore their way through the bullets, but even their courage was weakening as the Innies dropped one Marine after another.

"Bring it!"

Kenny roared as an Innie wielding an ax approached him. With a running start, the Innie swung at Kenny, the ax barely skimming his chest armor as he dodged the attack.

"Fuck you!"

Kenny screamed to the rebel as he grabbed the top of the ax's handle, and forcing the Innie close to him. And with a monstrous shove, he pushed the rebel away and pulled him back by the ax, then slammed his foot into the Innies chest with double the force of just a regular kick. Kenny could feel the Innies chest bones shatter under the force of his boot. Kenny laughed in an almost demonic way as the Innie collapsed onto the ground.

"Yeah, bitch! Don't fuck with a super soldier!"

Kenny said as he stood over the defeated Innie. In a way, it made Link sick to his stomach.

"Kenny! Come on!"

Link frantically waved to Kenny.

"My pleasure!"

Kenny said as he swung his hand back and drove his fist at high speeds into another Innies face. The rebel tried to defend himself but nothing stopped the Agent's soaring fist from forcing him to the ground. With ease, Link continued his dash to the Pelican as it came only within meters from him.

"Just a little more!"

Link roared as he vaulted over a group of sandbags. But since he didn't judge his trajectory, he came face to face with a cowering Innie. He sat with his back turned to the bags as Link turned to him. The soldier couldn't be more than sixteen. Link felt bad as the rebel had a broken arm, the bone stuck out and he tried to cover it with his gun, trying to keep his intimidation. But Link saw through his attempt and grabbed one of the medics as he passed over the sandbags.

"Help this man!"

The medic looked down and saw the Innie looking confused up at Link.

"Sir! He's an Innie! I cant possibly-"

"Don't give me any lip!"

Link said as he pulled the medic close. The stare he gave was electric as the medic nodded his head quickly, trying to escape the massive Marine's grip. Link set the medic down and he quickly began examining the boy. The rebel, with tears in his eyes and blood splattered stains on his face, gave Link a smile as he dropped his assault rifle. Link was glad, as the other Marines had made it to the Pelican in time to secure the package.

"Got it sir!"

Kenny said as he held one of the sides of the ten by five crate, it was heavy from what the faces of the soldiers gave off. It was a struggle for them to move it.

"Good! Get it behind that pillar!"

Link pointed to a cement pillar that stood just behind the Pelican and the Marines responded in an instant, doing a combination of dragging and shoving to move the crate. Link then dashed over to the pillar to meet them there, taking a few rounds that bounced off his shield.

"Open it."

Link said to Derrick as he too was down at the pillar.

"Lets hope it was worth it."

With a scan of his IFF transponder, the crate beeped twice before sliding open, exposing the contents. Link just stood there in shock. Bewildered at what he saw. The same went for the other Marines. They just rummaged thought the contents and were confused at what the package happened to be. Link just looked up as he held one rocket launcher with one set of rockets; the only contents of the crate.

"What the fuck…"

END

A/N: Yes, yes, yes. I know. Shortest chapter ever. Sorry for that to all my Bear Cubs and everyone interested in my FF. I just didn't have enough time to wrote a lot lately. My dog Buster was not doing so well this week and I had to attend to him. He had some sort of stroke and, lets just say its bad. But I tried to get this done as fast as I could. My bad. And I left ya guys with an epic cliffhanger. Next chapter will explain everything. :P So if you haven't SUBSCRIBED or COMMENTED, please do so now. Love ya guys!

Casey (bearmaster)


	14. Ch 6 Part 9: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Gore, Blood, ETC.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Part 9 ~ Combat, Love it or Hate it

Time: 2523 February 3, 0555

Location: Pelican #2 crash site

"This is O six-five-nine-zero hailing command."

Derrick said as he held the single rocket launcher in his hand. The package was less than what anyone had thought. Link thought that the package was going to contain some sort of nuke or at least demo charges, but just one M19 SSM Rocket Launcher and one extra set of rockets were lying in the mostly empty cargo container. The only other supplies that were in the container were a few clips of Assault Rifle ammunition and ten Fragmentation Grenades.

"Command, we have received the package. But this was not what we planned to receive. This is a Torch and Burn Op and this is barely the sufficient ammunition to get this job done."

Link stood on the other side of the container as he held the extra set of rockets. The battle still raged on around them so a stray bullet would cause the group to fall to a knee. The mass of Marines and Agents continued to push foreword as Link, Derrick and Kenny stayed behind with their small Marine _escort_. Derrick put his hand to his side after handing the rocket launcher to a Marine standing to his left.

"Okay, patch me through."

Derrick shook his head in frustration and retracted his visor.

"They're patching me to General Watson, for some reason."

Derrick said as he kicked the dirt next to him. Link retracted his visor as well and kept the revolver ready on his lap, things were going to get even more complicated, he thought, so he might as well be ready. The armor was different from the revolver, black and lusterless, while the revolver seemed to glow in the light. The only part of the armor that resembled the revolver was the visor; the orange and white mixture of color seemed to rip through the darkness of the suits majority color.

"Hey, Green."

One of the Marines said to Link, pointing out his suits secondary color.

"What do you think is happening here?"

"You know as much as me right now buddy."

Link said back to the Marine as he adjusted his med-kit on his back.

"General, this is O six-five-nine-zero, all three packages have been received but it is not of sufficient-"

Derrick looked as if he had been cut off in his speech.

"Yes, I was aware that this was a Torch and Burn, just like every other Marine and Agent here, sir. What is really going on here sir?"

Link and Kenny looked at each other in how Derrick's tone changed from angry to annoyed.

"Search and Capture?"

Derrick said under his breath. Link tilted his head as he moved in closer to Derrick.

"It's a Search and Capture?"

Link said to Derrick as he was soon shot down as Derrick waved his finger at him, signaling Link to shut his mouth.

"Why did it change? Why weren't we notified? This mission has now become a class six; we were told that this was going to be a class two! We are totally unprepa-"

Derrick was cut off again from the voice on the other end of his earpiece. His face was straining as his annoyance grew to an almost uncontrollable level. With a jerk of his head, Derrick jolted to a standing pose, throwing his hand back up to his earpiece.

"Fuck you! Don't ever call us that! We are here to get a job done and I'll be damned if we don't get this job done!"

Derrick roared into his microphone again. This sudden rage surprised Link and it made him slightly off balanced on his knee. Link had to place his right hand on the ground to brace his midsection from falling over.

Derrick face grew more livid than anyone had ever seen before. His eyes seemed to glow a slight red as he clenched the other fist of his by his side. It was a new sight, something Link and really anyone had ever seen before. Link had seen that kind of rage only a few times before in his life, one of those occasions was in the news. A Spartan was being interviewed, sprayed with almost flaming comments about his brethren. Without warning, he sprung at the cameraman and shattered the camera into nothing more than pieces of plastic and metal. He didn't hurt the cameraman or reporter; he just killed their camera. But he had the same look in his eye that Derrick did. Watson had insulted the Olympians.

"I don't fucking care if you Court Marshall me."

Derrick said almost too calmly. Link was sideswiped by the threat given to his leader. Watson was defiantly pulling out the low cards on Derrick.

"I became an Agent to get shit done."

With an almost indirect way, Derrick glanced to Link. His emotion was back to his calm state. His eyes went instantly from the glowing rage to his normal self, and in that moment, Derrick sent Link a slight wink. The message within that gesture was more than just friendly. Derrick was his brother, almost like an older brother. Looking out for his younger siblings from a bully.

"And I intend to get my, our, people out of here in one piece with Jerome Hendrix in chains."

Derrick finished as he pulled his hand away from his earpiece. Seconds passed. The only noise made was the continuing battle, but it made Link scared. Derrick showed signs of what the Marines liked to call the One Thousand Yard Stare. Mindlessly staring into space.

"Hey, Derrick, you okay man?"  
"He."

Derrick huffed as he took his canteen from his side and took a considerable swig from the contents. After a few monstrous chugs, wiped away the water that rolled down his chin with his wrist. His emotions stayed the same but he noticed Links bewildered face out of the corner of his eye. It made him chuckle a little as he put his canteen back on his side.

"There's been a change in plans. Johan, do you read me?"

The yellow-clad Agent said coolly. His visor slamming back into place, cutting off his emotionless face from the world once more. Link adjusted his headset so he could hear what Derrick was hearing. A loud crackling could be heard over the radio, sounds of bullets flying around caused the interference.

"What's up Yellow?"

"There have been some issues with command. I'm taking command of this operation."

A long silence came over the intercom, then a small chuckle.

"Got it."

"Hey Johan!"

Link said right after Johan's response.

"Hey Green. What's up?

"Uh-m, is Blue there?"

Derrick looked at Link and raised an eyebrow. Link did nothing but shrug and rub the back of his head.

"Yeah, she is doing good, I've kept an eye on her. She's pretty good with a turret."

Link smiled and in the background of the radio a small voice could be heard. It sounded no more than a squeak in the radio.

"Oh, she says Hi."

Link smiled wide as he shut his visor as well.

"Tell her that we'll meet up soon. All of us."

Link smiled to himself, it comforted him that she was okay as well. Derrick squeezed his fist shut, the under suit rubbing against itself. With a quick change of his radio, he was now on wide broadcast, every Marine and Agent in the next thirty kilometers.

"Everyone now is time for the final push! Although we don't have the packages we thought, we must prevail! We have come so close to victory and it is in our grasp! Lets bring down the capitol!"

Time: 2523 February 5, 1500

Location: New Jerusalem, Capitol City outskirts, Forest terrain

"Hey Derrick."

Link said as he worked his way over a fallen tree. The team of Marines and Agents, about one hundred souls total, worked their way trough the forest and to the main capitol. Kenny lagged behind the two who lead the group and spent more time telling false stories of his conquests to the Marines. The forest had overrun the city with its quick growing roots and navigating through was tough. Trees that looked over decades old towered over the moss covered concrete and the streets grew vibrate flowers and shrubberies of vivacious colors. It would have been beautiful if the circumstances were different. The team had to be on their toes at all times, watching for rebel encampments with their guns drawn. It was only a few more hours left before the M-A-C platforms exited Slip Space, so the teams would have to double time it.

"What?"

Derrick asked coldly.

"What did Watson say that made you so angry?"

Link said as his foot caught a root, temporarily throwing him off balance. Derrick didn't respond, his eyes focused on the next area of forest they needed to pass.

"Nothing."

Derrick said under his breath.

"PFFFF!"

Link let a huge burst of air out, filtering it though his teeth, showing Derrick he didn't believe in what he said. Derrick didn't even look back; he just kept his eyes foreword, desperately trying not to tell Link what Watson said. A silence fell over the two, awkward as can be.

"He called us abominations, didn't he?"

Link said. Derrick was caught off guard by Links precise guess and he darted his focus back to Link.

"WAA! No he didn't!"

Derrick tried to defend the General for some reason and not even he knew why.

"Your body language. It just SCReams abomination. And plus, I did some research about him before I went into the ODST's. He's very… Livid about the _enhanced_. It wouldn't be the first time he said that the Spartans or Agents were freaks, or fuck-ups."

Derrick went back to walking, he couldn't help but feel hurt over the words exchanged towards the Agents. Towards any enhanced soldier in that case. Derrick didn't notice, but his walk slowed to a halt. For some reason, he felt shame and just couldn't move his feet anymore.

"Its okay man."

Link got next to Derrick, his chin on his shoulder. Caught off guard again, Derrick jumped, but was soon met with the wide smile of Link, his visor obviously retracted.

"He's just a prick. I'm much happier to take orders from you than Watson or… Torrent."

Link shivered at the thought of Torrents rage and stepped back into formation with the rest of the group. Derrick felt good, but still unsure.

"So. Yellow, when are the M-A-C's comin down?"

Link asked as he reloaded the revolver with a premade 'clip'. Derrick sighed as he looked at his wrist module.

"We have… Four hours. Most of the civilians have been evacuated on the Definer, there are still some more waiting for pick up."

Derrick sighed again.

"We're going to be cutting it close."

Link chuckled.

"Yeah, but that gives us something to shoot for. We NEED to win this. For the civi's and the colony."

Link cracked his knuckles; the sound reverberated off the forest and echoed into the deep of the trees. Derrick started to feel his pride return, how could he feel shame in the first place, he thought.

"Yeah. Lets get this done."

Link nodded and they continued to walk with the team. Derrick was now scanning the area with his newfound sniper, scanning the area for dugouts.

"Sooooo, what is the mission anyway? Since its now a _Search and Capture._"

"We need to get an Innie Kingpin. Name, Jerome Hendrix. We already knew that, but we thought we needed to kill him, well, as things have turned out, we need to capture him. He has some data on some random research site that ONI wants. Nothing big, but its apparently important enough to let a shit tone of Marines and Agents die for it."

Link now sighed in the thought of the increasing difficulty that the mission started to build.

"Sounds like… Somewhat of a plan. Do we know what to expect?"

Link asked as he thought about what the Innies had planned.

"We don't know. But we need to get this done soon. Were close though, you can see the capitol building over there."

Derrick pointed to the gleaming tower in the distance, huge green vines wrapped themselves around the obelisk that stood at the center. The white metal popped through the green with the strong reflection of the sun. They were close.

"We need to do this right. We only have one shot. If we don't succeed, we, everyone on this planet is screwed."

END

A/N: Progressively shorter and shorter chapters. This one is kinda long but not really. :P busy, busy week for me. Buster, my dog, seems to be back to his old self. RELEIF! But this is getting close to the end of CHAPTER 6. It seems like it has been dragging on for a while, but ya know, shit happens. :3 Im thinkin that it will end in two chapters. So be ready for the quick conclusion of this epic adventure! ^u^ so anyway, have a great Memorial Day weekend and keep it real! I love ya my Bear cubs and remember, COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE! Now, lets get wasted!

Casey (Bearmaster)


	15. Ch 6 Part 10: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, Etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Part 10 ~ Combat, Love it or Hate it

Time: 2523 February 3, 0635

Location: Capitol Square, New Jerusalem

The field was splattered with the blood of a thousand soldiers as the three teams of Marines and Agents came. The bodies of the last retaliation against the Innies to bring back the regular government, most of the dead and rotting bodies were just civilians with no military experience. They fought with what they had, some with guns, others with their fists, but the square quickly became something of a mass grave. Bodies of the retaliated stacked like sandbags to give a gruesome form of cover for the Innie bunkers, they didn't care that the smell was strong enough to bring down a full grown Gúta, all they cared about was killing as many UNSC supporters as possible, then displaying their bodies in such horrid ways, like trophies.

The Innies had bunkered themselves deep within the capitol square, but the majority lay within the main structure. Heavily fortified with high caliber machine guns in cement nests covered in scrap metal and the stench of the dead, it made an extremely formidable defense. The three teams regrouped and used a mound of pushed up dirt about twenty meters long and five meters tall as a support wall, to prevent any rounds from hitting them when they weren't looking. Similar to the D-Day invasion of France in World War II, there was limited cover for the Marines, and the only cover provided was the mounds of dead that were scattered all over the field. The sound was similar too, the reverberations of machine-guns slicing the air, bullets piercing the soft dirt, it was true war. It was about a twenty-five meter dash to the front of the capitol from where the Marines were stationed and even after only a few minutes of battle the Marines and Agents found what the situation had been given to them was less than favorable.

The rounds spat out of the HMG-38 nests all covering the front of the capitol and the Marines would volley back with a cluster of bullets of their own. But even one slip from cover and the Innie gunmen would blast that person into oblivion. One Marine in particular that squatted next to Link was just peeking his head over the mound and without a beet the gunners sent a bullet about six inches long though his skull. Splattering the fellow Marines behind him with gray matter and bone fragments. Link jumped and caught the Marine; his body slumped with his head dripping into the dirt. Even with his advanced medical techniques, there was nothing Link could do for fixing a headshot. So with tender care, Link let the Marine's body sip out of his hands. His body falling lifelessly to the lower area of the mound, that had seemed to be crowded by other Marines that took his, and many other unfortunate soul's place. His body dragged away by some of the medic crew to be placed on the dead list.

"Jesus Christ!"

Kenny said as he was lying on the dirt next to the Marine. With a jolt of energy, he lifted his Javelin rifle above the mound and sprayed a short burst of rounds as retaliation. The dart like rounds bouncing off the scrap metal armor and into the steps of the capitol.

"What's the plan, Derrick?"

Gem said as she used the dug in machine gun, trying her hardest to hit the machine gun nests with all her might. Derrick sat flipping through data from his SCCD, searching for usable flaws the Innies left open, but to no avail.

"Looks as if the Innies dug in good."

Johan said under his breathe as he used a modified binocular device that was similar to a submarines 'periscope'. The walls of the entrance way were huge and well build, meant to withstand nuclear war. The doorway was covered with sandbags and the only way in from what it looked like was to go into the Heavy machine gun nests.

"Hey, Derrick!"

Johan said as he bumped Derricks elbow. Derrick shifted in the dirt and looked at Johan.

"From what it looks like, the Innies have dug into the main understructure of the capitol and are using that to constantly rearm the gunner nests. That seems like our best way in."

Derrick rubbed his head as he took the periscope like device and looked at the nests. Johan was right.

"Hm. What do you suppose we do? We could send a team of Agents in Turtle Formation, that may work."

Kenny grunted in rebuttal.

"Their shields will get pounded by those guns."

Kenny explained as he bobbed his head as a bullet flicked the dirt right above him.

"They would make it half way and run their shields to nothing! They wouldn't stand a chance!"

Derrick rubbed his arm as he rummaged through more data.

"What about the Haymaker? Can it give us some cover fire?"

Link said as he went over the top of the mound with his pistol, unleashing his entire cylinder of bullets on one of the nests, all of the bullets hitting close to their target but only one hitting the intended mark. The last bullet ripped through the Innies helmet and he flew backwards, pulling the gun with him. Link lowered the revolver and smirked as he could see the Innie fall. But without missing a beat, he was replaced by another gunner, who rearmed the gun and took aim at Link.

"Fuck!"

Link grunted as he used his left foot, which was dug into the dirt to pull himself back to suitable cover. With only milliseconds to spare, the gunner spew rounds to where Links head would have been, spraying the dirt upward and into sizable clouds of gray and brown soot.

"You okay?"

Gem called to Link, still firing her automated gun at the HMG nests. Her aim was precise but not perfect. Every once in a while she would get a kill. Some unknowing Innie would step out of cover and she would utilize the mistake. Like the other machine gunners who had positioned themselves on the mound, she would receive a considerable amount of retaliation fire, most hitting the dirt surrounding the gun; the others bounced off the heavy steel shield that covered the front of the gun. The noise it made would cause a jolt in Gems skin, making her tense but she kept going.

"The Haymaker is still in the fight, but they have run out of most of their Point Defense Gun ammunition and they will need to pull out soon."

Derrick said to Link. Link flicked open his revolver and popped out the old casings to make room for new shells, he thought of plans, strategies, something to help finish the battle. Link could feel his heart pounding, his hands shook, his eyes watered as the sound of death started to quake into his soul. He just wanted to leave, retreat and never return to the planet, but that was a no go. The UNSC had to stay and save the civilians, Link thought. With every passing moment though, Link was loosing hope.

The Marines around him fought vigorously, as hard as they could, but those nests weren't budging. The sound of it all was giving Link a splitting headache. For a moments rest, he decided to look up at the sky, trying to avoid hearing anymore of the battle at hand. The sky was a beautiful mix of orange and white and blue as the sun rose, but the night sky still lingered. The shimmering stars could barely be seen now that the sun that New Jerusalem revolved around was rising, but they could still be noticed. Link marveled a little at the majesty of the sky, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time he could see such a sight.

Something was odd though about the sky. Stars were appearing, in mass. Many from what it seemed just started to come into the sky, all clustered in the same area. This made Link tilt his head in confusion, as it wasn't a natural occurrence. But what was the oddest thing about it was that the stars weren't normal white color, but blue. Link then nudged Derrick with his elbow, which got his attention.

"Hey… Derrick… Do you see that?"

Link pointed up to the still growing mass of sapphire dots in the sky. Derrick bobbed his head at first, rubbing his eyes trying to get a better sight of what Link was pointing to. Derrick paused as he contemplated the sight and he squinted his eyes to get a better glance at the sight. When it finally dawned upon Derrick a shiver when down his spine and to his toes.

"Dear god…"

Derrick said under his breath. His eyes bulged as he stared at the blue dots while Link sat in confusion. Kenny, who had followed Links pointing finger, was also staring at the dots, just as confused as Link.

"What is it, Derrick?"

Derrick swallowed his saliva as he looked at the two Agents next to him.

"The M-A-C platforms have come early. We need to get this done NOW!"

Link inched back from Derrick as his intensity made his body lurch foreword into Links personal space. But Link darted his eyes back up at the still amassing blue dots, all-converging in the sky.

"You're telling me, that those are all M-A-C platforms? How many are there?"

The mass of dots still grew.

"There were supposed to be one from every colony. Every single colony with a defense grid."

Link now knew what they were in for. Almost one hundred planets, mostly inner colonies, had massive orbital defense platform grids of almost ten platforms. Reach being one of the colonies with the most ODP's. Kenny froze as he did the simple math.

"T-t-that's over a hundred platforms… That's enough platforms to level the entire planet!"

"They want to destroy everything…"

Link thought out loud, the other Marines around them now realizing the giant gathering in the sky, preparing to unleash its wrath. Just above the planets atmosphere, the massive and almost fleet like platforms were just exiting slip space form their respected planets. Their one thousand three hundred meter lengths loomed over the Frigates that kept the remaining blockade. It was the largest gathering of ODPs ever in mankind's history.

"Why so many?"

Link said as he tried to look away from the sky.

"I don't know."

Derrick said, his voice low, trembling. Link didn't buy it, why would the UNSC send such a large attack force for one city?

"What are they going to do if we fail?"

Link asked. If there was any doubt that the others around them were not listening, those doubts were shattered. The entire group of Marines and Agents slowed or halted in the fight, leaning in on Derrick's word.

"We're not."

Derrick stood, his head up high and his shield withdrawn from his arm. With a quick draw, he took the sniper off his back, holding the shield up with one hand while the other held his sniper. Link could see his face, stoic, almost stiff lipped. His eyes glowed in a golden flame that seemed to shine down to the soldiers below, his arm deflecting rounds as he stood. It was like he didn't care anymore about the Innies trying to kill him and his confidence was put directly into his shield to protect him.

The soldiers that stood scared before seemed to now look up to him, not just literally, but in a sense that they needed him. Link thought of it as almost how he was like with his little brother, Shane. Whenever he was picked on in school, Link would come in on his white horse, which was more like a baseball bat, and save the day. He gave Shane something to look up to and respect, and that was what Derrick was doing to his unit, his people. They all went silent as Derrick took in a deep breath.

"We have them corned. I have never seen soldiers fight as hard as you all have today, in the past weeks. But now, our own generals plan to smite us."

The soldiers stayed quiet as they listened intently, Link, Kenny, Johan, and Gem included. Bullets continued to bounce off his shield, but he kept his focus.

"We need to finish this to save ourselves, but more importantly, to save everyone on this colony from a horrific death! And I'll be damned if our generals will commit that atrocity! Now, we need to go in with all we have, every man, every gun, bullet, and grenade we have to quell Jerome Hendrix and his rebels!"

Derrick lifted his sniper into the air as a battle sign, the soldiers around cheered as they now felt they had a chance of beating the almost non existent time they had to complete the mission. Link looked around as he loaded his pistol, getting ready for anything.

"We charge! Agents out in front with shield withdrawn! We take the nests and flow in like an unstoppable flood!"

Derrick roared as he stood at the very top of the mound of dirt holding his sniper up towards the obelisk of the capitol and his shield in front of his chest like a jouster. The aura that the yellow clad Olympian gave off inspired Link to stand as well, he instead held the revolver John had given him. The pride, the sheer excitement that was rushing through his body was endless. He didn't even care that it could have been his last moments; all he cared about was how he and the unit of brothers would fight for one final hour, giving all that they had to protect everything. An almost unreal feeling.

In the heat of the moment, everything seemed to slow. The battle cry of the Marines came to nothing more than a mellow growl. Every Marine and Agent was rushing to clear the mound and it felt as if the mound itself was going to collapse from the number of people climbing it. Gem had popped the machine gun off its tripod and held it to her side, toting it around like an action hero. Kenny and Johan on the other had almost gotten up; still loading their weapons while Derrick and Link had their weapons already loaded. Link holding his shield up to eye level, his pistol hand pushing against it, holding back the bullets while Derrick started his march foreword, his sniper too at eye level. The sight was one to see, hundreds of Marines and Agents about to overcome the mound seemed like something from a movie.

Link glanced to Derrick, their visors covered the Agents' faces, but he could tell that Derrick was smiling. But as Link looked through Derricks visor, a flash from the Capitol's Obelisk reflected off with a great flash. A sniper. A three round burst sniper bullets flew through the air and bypassed Derricks arm shield with ease. Without the shield covering his chest the armor piercing bullets punctured Derrick's chest plate and in an instant things became real again. Too real.

END

A/N: Epicness then sadness. This has been plotted out for a while. This is just a whole new experience your about to witness. I hope you prepared yourselves because shit is gonna go DOWN. Derricks speech gave me a little bit of a chill because of the awesome sauceness. :P So a few things, this story has reached 2,800 views! :D haza! And a very talented girl on DeviantArt has agreed to do some art for the story and me! So we are going to see some cool anime styled artwork for Link and the gang! :3 That seems to be about it, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT! Oh, in the comment section, tell me what you thought of Derrick's leadership and badass speech. Tell me if it seems over done or cheesie or anything. That's it! Check y'all next Sunday! Later, my little Bear Cubs.

Casey (Bearmaster)


	16. Shit is gettin real, Readers! :D

READERS! Holly Ballz!

Okay my little bear cubs. Shit is getting real in the video game world. As some of you may already know, a remake of Halo CE is coming out. XD WOOO! But also, as of today (6/6/11), HALO 4 has dawned upon us! ZOMG! You need to see the trailer. It gave me a serious nerdboner.

But anyway, that will not rip my attention away from the story. :P I hope my story will correlate with the events of H4 but you know, whatever happens its still a story. That's it y'all. Tell me what ur reaction was to the trailer in the comment section below, if you have seen it. :P see ya this Sunday.

LOVE YOU!

Casey (bearmaster)


	17. Ch 6 Part 11: Combat, Love it or Hate it

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, ect.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Part 11 ~ Combat, Love it or Hate it

"DERRICK!"

Kenny yelled, almost tearing his vocal cords as he saw his best friend falling from the mound. The impacts of the bullets were strong enough to push him off the dirt mound and into a ten-meter fall. With a bone-chilling crunch, Derrick fell to the hard dirt covered asphalt, his body limp and dripping blood from his chest. Link didn't hesitate to sprint off the top of the mound, Kenny and Gem followed. Dirt kicked up from his boots as he tried to keep his balance while going down the unstable sediment of the mound.

The other Marines and Agents stopped their assault, going back into their original positions. They thought it was over. Without Derrick, they had no confidence. Their hope was lost.

"Oh fuck! We're screwed man!"

An Agent cried as he saw Derricks limp body on the ground. Link and the others rushed to his side, falling to their knees and skidding to his side. He lied on his chest, not moving except for a twitch from coughing up blood. With care, Link grabbed his right arm and flipped him to his back. Just from first glance, it was bad. The bullets had burrowed into his chest plate and when they made contact with his flesh, they exploded expelling most of his chest armor. All that remained was small fragments of his chest plate hanging from the buckles on his shoulders and upper waist.

"Lets… Get this off him."

Link said as he began unbuckling Derricks left shoulder. The other two nodded as they worked on his waist. The buckles gave way and the chest armor seemed to just slide off Derricks under suit.

"Fuck!"

Kenny said as he saw the true extent of the damage. The bullets had ripped through the under suit and torn Derricks chest to pieces. Link could feel his stomach turn as he investigated the damage. Two of the bullets had done surface damage, mostly tearing the skin and muscle to nothing and exposing a lot of bone. While the other bullet had completely penetrated his chest and from what it looked like, had gone straight into his heart. Gem covered her mouth, as she couldn't handle the sight.

"Oh my god."

Gem said as she stood and turned her back to her struck down leader. Link removed his med-kit from his back and started to rummage through it.

"What you looking for?"

Kenny asked, desperately looking for some sort of comfort. Link brought out his scanner, the same one he used a few weeks before.

"Hold him down."

Link said rather coolly. Kenny hesitantly grabbed Derrick's shoulders as Link scanned his chest. It was as he thought. The one bullet had ripped into his right lung and scrabbled it like an egg, while the other lung was close to rupturing. His heart was also in critical condition. Many pieces of shrapnel had pieced the soft muscle and it was barely beating as is.

There weren't many options. The situation was grim. Derrick would cough every few seconds to get the collecting blood out from his collapsing body. Derrick started to sob as he could feel the searing pain coursing through him with every breath. Tears ran down his cheeks as he grabbed Link and Kenny's hand tightly as he held on to life by only sheer force of will. Link knew it, Kenny knew it, and Derrick knew it. Derrick was going to die on that battlefield.

"Kenny."

Derrick mumbled as a spurt of blood began to run down his lips.

"Yeah, buddy?"

Kenny said as he held Derrick's hand tighter. The battle around them still was getting progressively worse as more and more Marines decided to retreat from lost hope but the Agents stayed behind. They weren't going to leave their brother behind. Gem was crouched behind Kenny, holding her head in her hands as she tried to pull herself together.

"I'm sorry that I had to leave like this."

"What do you mean man? You're going to be all right! Link can help you!"

Kenny said, franticly trying to salvage the slivers of hope that seemed to be dissipating rapidly. Kenny glanced to Link with a look of guidance. All Link could muster to give back was a quivering lip and swelling eyes.

"We all know that's-"

Derrick coughed hard as he spat up more blood.

"-Not going to happen."

"Link can fix you! You've been my best friend for three years! You can just come into someone's life and leave like this! Don't leave us!"

Kenny began to grab Derrick hand even tighter, almost angrily as he held in his true emotions.

"Don't leave me."

Kenny said as he finally broke down. Knowing that it was over.

"Don't cry, Ken. Fight in my name, will you do that for me?"

Derrick took a glimpse at Kenny as another blood filled cough made him convulse.

"Yeah, man. I wont let you down!"

With that, Derrick went to Link. Link felt Derrick's hand loosen as he began to feel his heart giving way to the shrapnel's punctures.

"I want you to lead our people Link."

Derrick said slowly as he reached with his right hand to his left, detaching his command module from his wrist. As it snapped off, he quickly put in front of Link's face. The only thing Link could feel at the moment was anguish but he could still feel the shock of Derrick's decision.

"Ah… I… What you want me… I… I can't lead the unit, Derrick! Why me?"

Link said as he came to his senses. Derrick responded by shacking the device in front of Link, insisting that he take it. Dumfounded, Link looked at the device and took it from Derrick's hand just before it lost its strength and landed to his side.

"Link, you and the others have so much potential. Way more than I ever had. So please-"

With a thrust of his chest and a massive cringe, Derrick let out the most disturbing sound that could have ever been heard. His heart had seized up.

"Derrick!"

Link said as he went to his med kit again, looking for anything to help Derrick.

"Listen! Don't let our deaths be in vein! Figure out what Watson was doing here. For the fallen!"

Derrick said his final words to Link. His stare directly into his. Link just nodded gently, still stunned completely. All Derrick did in response was smile as the blood continued out of his mouth, the life in his eyes fading. Then he pulled Link close, his hand on Links chest plate, Links ear to his mouth. All that could be seen at Kenny angle was Derrick's lips fluttering and Link listening intently. Then his grip released, letting Link go and his head to drop motionless to the dusty ground. Death had taken him in its soft embrace and his soul vacated his body.

"This isn't happening."

Gem said as she saw Derrick's body lay in the dirt. She could only push her wrists up to her eyes as she tried to hold in what was building inside her. Kenny sat with his head hung, not crying anymore, just whimpering to himself.

"God DAMMIT!"

Link screamed as he stood quickly in an attempt to remove himself from the situation. Derrick's device still glowed and beeped although not attached to its owner. Link turned the blue shimmering device to him and saw the data. All that he could feel was anger. Blood rage flowed through his veins as the only thing he could think of was avenging the deaths of the people he had seen struck down. The people who were doing what they felt was right or the ones who were just in the way in some act of benevolent godly action. Derrick. Aften. It wasn't right.

Links hands shook in rage. The device crunched under the weight of his anger. The device squealed as it began to shatter and with a swift crack, the device splintered into pieces. Link looked at his hand, the pieces of glass and metal had torn through his under suit and ripped into his hands skin, blood dripping from the wounds. His hands shook still from the force used and he grabbed his hand with the other to add pressure, trying to relieve the pain. No matter what he did, he could still feel the anger growing more with every second that went by.

"Link, lets get out of here. Can we get an evac?"

Gem asked as she walked to Links side, rubbing his back trying to comfort him. As she rubbed his back, she saw Kenny lift his dead friend off the dirt and began to walk away to the forward base of operations. Derricks body limp as Kenny just walked morbidly away and out of sight.

"Come on Link, we need to go now!"

Gem said as the rest of the Marines that stayed behind started to flee.

"NO!"

Link screamed as she darted out of Gems grasp and up the dirt mound. The unsettled dirt didn't stop him from reaching the top.

"Link! What are you doing? Come on!"

Gem panicked as she signaled the retreating Marines to return. Link reached the top of the mound and with a huge bound; he leaped from the top of the mound and to the dead and steel filled battleground bellow.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Link screamed as his voice retained its usual pitch. With a flick of his arm he withdrew his shield and began to rush forward. The closest nest picked him up on their sensors and began tattering him with bullets. Link moved so swift, however, that the gunner couldn't keep up with his speed.

"YOU'RE DEAD!"

Link roared to operators of the nest. Gem and the other Marines just reached the top of the mound as Link had already made it halfway to the nests. That was the furthest anyone had gotten so far.

"Jesus."

Johan murmured to himself. Gem looked at Johan and the others and realized they had been watching the events unfolding in front of them. Gem grunted to herself in aggression as she lifted her Javelin rifle to her face.

"WHAT are you doing just sitting their, you dumbasses! Help him!"

Gem put emphasis on _what_ and instantly the others responded with gunfire. Yet again, the battle had started once more.

"I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"

Link screamed as he looked directly into the gunner's eyes, focusing his rage on him. Link took aim as he gripped the leg of one of the two-ton tank stoppers. Then, with some incredible force, Link lifted the tank trap like a shot putter and hurled it into the air, aimed perfectly at the bunker. The mass of rusted steel barreled through the air as Link began to chase the steel projectile. The gunner and other operators, stunned by the act of massive force, watched mindlessly as the object came closer and closer to them. They soon realized the reality of their situation seconds before impact and decided to evade their attack, but it was too late. The steel tank trap smashed the entire right side of the nest, the object crushing some of the observers in the process.

The others behind the mound had stopped firing to watch the attack. A moment of silence occurred after the loud crash of the throw. They were amazed by the assault.

"Waa?..."

Johan muttered to himself, as he too had never seen someone with that kind of capability. But the shock went away soon after and the battle continued. The other nest began to send a volley of bullets back at the mound. Link paused calculated his next move. In the same through, Link moved like a cougar up the small lip of the bottom of the nest. One of the gunners was able to recover to see Link closing in to the opening he had made. With a jerk, the Innie cocked the machine gun and aimed it as best as he could at Link with his shivering hands. Link deflected bullet after bullet with his withdrawn shield as he ran faster and faster to the opening until he swung into the opening, getting away from the bite of the machine gun.

Link slid on his knee and skidded for a meter before stopping. His head hung low as the gunner tried to run past Links huge body but was stopped by one of Links massive hands grabbing his face. With another huge throw, Link hurled the gunner out of the nest's opening headfirst.

"YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!"

Link roared again as reinforcements started to flow through the tunnel leading to the main building. Link couldn't concentrate on his surroundings because of the darkness, but he could see that the entire structure was made from large wooden rafters holding up the dirt walls like a mineshaft with lights dangling from the ceiling, with little natural light filtering through the nest's opening. Link glanced back to the doorway as three Innie soldiers with an entourage of other soldier behind them, armed with contraband weapons, all pointed their guns at him as they prepared to fire. All Link did was take a step forward and take out his pistol, shield glowing on his arm.

"Come at me!"

From the mound position, things had become very intense. Gem watched the other nest through Derrick's sniper, waiting for a sign that Link was okay. But nothing happened. The Marines who had fled were returning to continue the fight, hearing over the Comms that only one Agent had beaten the gauntlet of obstacles in no time at all. The unit wanted to finish what they had started but they also wanted to believe that hope was still lingering in the little time they had left.

There was nothing from Link, just silence for a couple of seconds. Then, in a rapid succession, huge bursts of light and crackling blasts filled the entire bunker. Gem gasped as the light show began. Gem looked up away from her scope to see what was happening with her eye alone, but she could only see shards of light. So she went back to her scope, seeing the blasts and the occasional shadow or silhouette of one of the soldiers moving back and forth.

"Link? Can you hear me?"

Gem said as she was giving commands to her fellow soldiers the best she could. No response came back from the radio except sounds of guns going off and the sporadic grunt from Link. The sounds from the intercom seemed to mix together with the other noises Gem was hearing around her. It was hard to differ one sound from next to her to what was happening on the coms.

"What the fuck were you thinking? Are you alive?"

Gem said in panic. A crackling interruption came over the coms as a massive explosion quaked the entire bunker. Fire spewed out of every nest's openings, roasting the gunners and Innies inside. The explosion was powerful enough to send shock wave through the entire underground structure, leveling the other nest by bringing the entire roof down on top of the Innie fighters. Link was still inside and from what it looked like there were no survivors.

"LINK?"

Gem screamed when she saw the explosions massive effect on the bunkers. It was almost a sure thing that Link had been killed or at least crushed by the ceiling coming down on top of him. Gem knew it was over as nothing was heard for a few seconds. Even after repeatedly begging for him, there was no response.

"No."

Gem said as her knees buckled and fell into the dirt.

"Don't do this to me."

Tears began to roll down her face as she felt she had lost yet another teammate, but more than just a teammate in Links case. She had lost the only man she had ever loved.

"I'm fine."

Links voice came over the coms cold and almost angrily. Gems head popped up to hear his voice. She thought it was only her imagination at first.

"Uh-m, Link?"

"I'm fine. I just need you to do something for me."

"Link, I'm not going to do anything unless you're here with-"

"Stowe it!"

Link strained his voice. He didn't sound like himself.

"I want you to get everyone you can off this rock. I'm going to find Hendrix myself."

END

A/N: thank god. This chapter was killing me. And again, im sorry for it being a week late. My sis came to town and my dog had to get surgery so it has been a busy past 2 weeks. :P Otherwise, things are pretty good. I didn't know really how to construct it either, so the extra week helped a lot. SO please, don't hate on me. ^u^' Uhhhh, yeah. That's it for this week. Let me know what ya think. Make sure to COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE to become part of the Bear Cub pack. :3 So I'll see yall next Sunday! Lates.

Casey (Bearmaster)


	18. Ch 6 Part 12: Combat Conclusion

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Violence, Blood, Etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 6

Part 12 ~ Combat, Love it or Hate it – Conclusion

"Jesus."

Link said under his breathe as he ran through the huge labyrinth of tunnels, looking for the main structure. Every time he rounded a corner rebels would be running the same direction. Link could barely hear what was being said over the intercoms, but he knew what a siren meant. They knew the ODP's were about to bring down everything so they, just like the Marines, were closing shop. But Link had come to far to turn back now. Hendrix had done too much to get away now and to be buried by the MAC's and that wouldn't be satisfying for his rage. Link would need to feel his blade pierce Hendrix's skin and the blood to drip down his arms until he was satisfied. Nothing was going to stop him.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Link's voice thundered down the corridors of the tunnels as he saw three Innies running at him, all panicked and looking for a way out. Behind them was the main foyer of the capitol building. With out hesitation, Link steamrolled over the middle Insurrectionist, first by kicking him in the chest, then using his body like a plank to skid across the floor for some time until he reached the smooth granite floors of the foyer. The room was huge. It was an oval shape with a ceiling that went up the entire height of the structure that went about twelve stories. At the very front of the structure, the Innies had dug in by setting up three machine gun outposts. Although abandoned; they were facing instead of the front door they were positioned in front of one of the tunnels. From what the shells that covered the ground signified, they had been used a lot. Above the barricaded entrance was a massive rectangular window that sat at a slight tilt. The glass had been cracked by the battle but since it was a government building it was reinforced and it was meant to withstand punishment like that. The foyer stretched for over a thousand feet, along the walls were hallway after hallway that lead to different areas of the structure. Each of those hallways was overflowing with Innie upper ranked who were too trying to escape the hell that would soon scathe the planet.

"Come on people!"

One Innie officer yelled as he pushed the lacking Innies past him and to another tunnel. He knew where things were from what it seemed like and Link was running out of time. Link threw some of the runners aside, gaining speed in his step as he approached the officer. The officer saw Links massive body and shadow and tried to pull his pistol from his holster. But even before he could get it out halfway, Link garbed his wrist. In a twisting motion, Link cranked the man's hand behind his back, locking his elbow and planted the mans face on the floor with his foot against the back of his skull. The rebel officer tried to escape but Link just pulled harder on his twisted arm and forced the man's head harder on the granite floor.

"Tell me where Hendrix is or Ill break your arm!"

Link said in an almost unreal voice. Like the devil himself had infused into his very soul, Links voice had become deep and angry. It echoed in his helmet and the sound doubled over itself, giving it a demonic vibe. The Innie still struggled.

"I wont tell _YOU _anything, PIG!"

Link sighed as he jerked the Innies arm back with a quick snap. It cracked and crunched, as the man's humorous became dislodged from his shoulder and his radius and ulna snapped like twigs from the force used. The sound was loud enough that it could be heard over the crowd of Innies running like a stampede. The man yelled in pain, his face turned red as a tomato. Saliva spewed out of his mouth, as he didn't care about the cleanliness of the floor, as the pain was so intense. Link didn't care as he dropped the mauled arm to the floor and quickly grabbed the man's other wrist. The Innie kept struggling, as he knew what was about to happen.

"I'm not FUCKING AROUND! Tell me where Hendrix is or you'll need some one to shoot your gun for you!"

Link growled as he began to twist the officer's last good arm. His words reached the man as he continued to scream in pain.

"HE'S OVER THERE, FUCKER!"

The man nodded at the elevator at the back of the foyer. Link smirked to himself as he let go of the officer's arm. The officer quickly grabbed his shattered arm with the other and curled into a quivering ball, riving in pain. Link then squatted down next to the man's head, his arms on his thighs supporting his upper body.

"Thanks. I wouldn't have done that if you just told me in the first place. So don't blame me."

Link snarled in a condescending manner. His eyes still focused on the officer. For some reason, he didn't want to let the man go.

"Aren't you a medic? Why the fuck are you doing this? GET THE FUCK AWAY!"

The Innie screamed again in pain as he tried to scoot away. Link sighed once more before grabbing the Innies hair by the root.

"Ah, ah, ah. Feisty."

Link said as he lifted the officer's head off the ground slightly with his body still stationary. Links mind wasn't right, but it felt so good to be getting his revenge on the enemy. His abuse and cruelty so far just fueled his rage as he could feel that he was enacting total revenge upon his enemy. With a swift and hard thrust, Link slammed the officer's head on the granite floor.

Link shivered as he felt the man's head smash into the floor. Instantly the man went unconscious as his skull cracked into many conjoined fragments. It felt good to Link to inflict such pain and he wondered if he should just end the poor bastard and stomp on his neck, but he soon remembered why he was there.

"HENDRIX!"

Link screamed again as he made a b-line for the elevator, throwing people out of his way in the process. It looked as if the people were a raging river and Link was a rock splitting the water as it passed. He used his shields to reject the people as they unknowingly went right into his path. Right as Link made it through he crowd, an elevator full of high ranking officials came to the floor level. They all were wearing much more authoritative fatigues, mostly a dark green color of civilian business suit, and they too began to follow the crowd.

Links mission timer blinked from blue to red as all of the numbers clicked down to all zeros. Time had run out and the MAC's were going to come down any minute.

"GET OUT MY WAY!"

Link said again as he shunted one of the green clad officials with his shoulder, knocking him to the floor. The group of disheveled leaders didn't care and joined the crowd of panicking rebels. Link skidded into the elevator and braced himself to the wall of the elevator. With a jab of his finger he pushed the tenth floor, the Governor's Sanctum. The Governor's Sanctum was where the officials of the planet made their decisions based on the ruling of the UNSC. Fitting that Hendrix stationed himself there. The door of the elevator slid shut and with a clang. The elevator's lights illuminated only the floor with a soft and fuzzy light that seemed to make the room seem foggy. The elevator jiggled to the right and left before finally moving upward and to Links fate.

The floors seemed to pass like an eternity as the window on the elevators left showed the entire battleground in a slow ascending manner. Link looked out the window at the scorched earth. Pelicans came down in droves and many were just getting off the ground. The sky had turned a very dark and patchy color. Link was taken back by the change since he hadn't looked at the sky for the past few hours.

Almost as if planned, an orchestrated line of, maybe thousands, orange orbs came jutting out of the cloud layer. The shelling had begun and the MAC's had been positioned uncomfortable close to the troops. The rounds landed only about three kilometers away from the dust off of the troops. The shells seemed to disappear into the massive forest of the planet but only milliseconds later they reemerged in a massive shockwave that shook the very crush of the planet. Link had to brace himself, as the entire capitol building seemed to quake under the attack. The Pelicans and Albatrosses were pushed around by the shockwave and the ones on the ground very flung into the air by the rolling land underneath. The wave of land stopped at the doorstep of the capitol where it shattered the foundation of the building, and the glass window that had lasted for the entire battle shattered into pieces as the structure surrounding it contorted to the shockwave. The shockwave ran up the building and rushed passed the elevator. The elevator Link rode shook tremendously as he still braced himself, trying not to fall. Link darted to the window, watching how the Marines were being thrown around. Link pounded on the window with his fist, knowing that those were his people being killed down there. He gritted his teeth. His family was down there.

But as soon as he went to the window, the elevator ascended into the ninth floor, which had no windows. The sight of the massacre was now out of view and in its place was a black wall speeding by. Link clenched his fists as he blamed Hendrix for all that had happened in the past two months. The elevator chimed as it reached the tenth floor and the elevator slowed to a halt. Link pulled his revolver off his side and held it to eye level as the door of the elevator struggled to open.

Once the door opened, the darkness of the Governor's Sanctum seemed to flow in. Like an angry beast trying to escape, it was hard to enter without feeling cautious. One foot went in front of the other as he went into the dark room. The room was in complete darkness. Link turned on his night vision as he felt another shock wave shake the structure. It was another wave of bombardments. Link continued foreword, thinking that it was his final mission to end Hendrix.

"HENDRIX!"

Link yelled out in his demonic sounding voice.

"I know your hear, come out! Its over!"

The room was decorated illustriously although papers and command equipment was scattered across the floor. Obviously this was the center of command for the Innies of the uprising. The ceiling was almost dome-like with a gold regality piece dangling from it center. Link aimed his gun up at the ceiling as shot a round to the dome, hoping to stir Hendrix from his hiding spot. Link looked back down, waiting for a response. A small stream of light peaked through the hole as Link kept looking around the office.

"I'm not fucking around Jerome! Come out now!"

Link said one more time. No response. A creek of a floorboard caused Link to dart into the corner of the room. There stood a man holding a something similar to a Jackal Staff completely withdrawn. Link paused. The man shifted his weight foot to foot as he came into the center of the room.

"Humph. You think I'm Jerome?"

The man said, his voice deep and scratchy. The man approached Link as his face came into the light.

"Stop where you are!"

Link screamed. For some reason Link was hesitating. Just before he was going to tear Hendrix limb from limb but now, he didn't know what to do.

"Do you know what Jerome even looks like?"

The man stepped closer as he placed one hand over his face, laughing to himself insanely while holding the weapon up still.

"N-no."

Link said. Cocking his revolver.

"Who the fuck are you then?"

The man swiped his hand next to a light fixture that dangled from the ceiling. It lit up the man's face to show his gray haired beard. His eyes looked tired as bags grouped under his lower eyelids. He was tall, about six foot nine and very scrawny although he was wearing a baggy shirt.

"I'm surprised, Agent. Your people sent you on a wild goose chase. You came looking for my brother, but found me. A stand in. A body double."

Link lowered his gun slightly. Him mind seemed to convulse as the new hit his mind.

"N-no."

Link repeated himself, breathing heavily as he was now feeling completely lost.

"Yep. You found me. I'm Paul. Paul Hendrix of course."

The man rubbed his arm as he started to circle Link. Link stared mindlessly at his foe. Link's mind seemed to be completely lost.

"My brother left six weeks ago. He knew that once the planet was his that the UNSC would come after him. So, he put me in his place. I look so much like him that I was able to fool your intelligence."

"Shut your mouth!"

Link said as he lifted his gun again. His voice shook with fear and rage. Yet another shockwave made the building sway. The dome began to crack with every wave and dust from the dome mixed with the light that flickered like a firefly. The MACs were getting closer.

"Listen to that sound, my friend. You people want you dead just as much as we do!"

Paul took a step back as he began laughing under his breath.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Link said as his finger tightened around the trigger. Link still hesitated.

"Why don't you just kill me, then? What would your dead friend think if he saw you right now?"

Link lost it. Slapping the revolver to his side, he lunged for Paul. Smooth like the wind, Paul dodged Link and struck Link on the back with his weapon. It sent a shock through Link stronger than the Jackal Staff. Links internal suit system seemed to jump as he felt to his knees. Paul stood over Link, laughing menacingly. A decisive kick in Links side by Paul's boot sent Link on the floor, wind knocked out of his lungs. Paul was much more than just another Insurrectionist; he was far stronger than anyone Link had encountered. Link shoved off the ground by his forearms, refusing to give up. He swung his left arm out in an attempt to clothesline his foe, but Paul bucked and struck Link in the ribs with a strong punch.

"Fuck!"

Link gurgled as he felt his intestines shift. The punch's power was able to go through Links shield and even bypassed his armor. Link fell to his knees again, trying to regain his breath. Paul looked at his hand, it bled from Links armor but he just licked off the red substance.

"Devils Dust. Didn't feel a thing."

Paul chuckled again as he swung his leg back to give Link a devastating blow to the gut.

"Good bye, Henderson."

Just as his leg swung into Links chest, Links hands sprung up to catch it. Paul tried to retake his leg but failed as Link tightened his grip on his leg. With a slow growl, Link looked up. Paul froze in the stare of Links eyes. His eyes had become demonic.

"I said…"

Link said as his hands started to crunch Paul's leg. Since Paul didn't feel it, he just tilted his head. Link then retracted his visor and took in a deep breath.

"SHUT UP!"

Link roared so loud Paul flinched in response just as another MAC volley smashed into the battleground. It gave the affect of Links voice shacking the building. Link then jumped back into standing position, throwing Paul's leg in the process. Paul wasn't able to react and lost balance falling to his back.

"Shit."

He said coolly with a slight chuckle. Link then swung his fist down on Paul's chest, slamming down with all he could, screaming like a demon in the process. The punch packed so much force that it even cracked the granite below the point of impact. Paul coughed up blood in response. He was surprised that anyone could pack such a wallop. Just as Links hand reacted though, Paul reacted with a sideways kick that knocked Link over. Paul then staggered to his feet and scurried to his weapon.

"Die!"

Link said as he pulled his revolver from his side. But just as he aimed his revolver at Paul's head, Paul had lined up Link in his sights as well. In an instant time stood still. Nothing occurred as the dust particles lay stagnant in the air and the two enemies had each other in their sights. Link pulled his trigger and so did Paul. The last thing for the two of them to hear was the sound if Links revolver shooting out a round and another MAC volleys on doorstep.

* * *

Links eyes slowly widened to see the dark sky. His arms trembled as he could feel the capitol giving way. The feeling of his rage had subsided and he felt normal again. What he had experience frightened him to his core and he could remember every portion of the experience like a well thought nightmare.

The dome had collapsed not seconds before and he could see the bits of steel and cement had covered his body. After lying for some time without breathing, he took a huge sudden breath in, making him slightly more responsive. The dust and dirt falling around him drew his eyes to Paul. He had been covered in much more of the dome then Link. Links target was spot on, right between the eyes.

Link sighed, as he knew his mission was complete although it was not truly done, but what more could he do? The MACs were just about over him and it would only be a few more moments before a tungsten slug obliterated him. So, Link closed his eyes, thinking about his family and Germaine, Derrick, Kenny, Johan, Halsey. It was over for him and that coxed a tear from his eyes. With that, Link began to nod off. He didn't know why he was so tired, but he didn't care.

Then, in the distance, he could hear the screeching sound of what he thought was a MAC shell hurdling towards him. Link took one last breath, and accepted his fate. But what caught him off guard was a voice, calling for him. Faint. But it got louder and louder as the screeching sound got louder. It was impossible, but it was a possibility. So with was energy he had felt, Link opened his weary eyes to see Gem propelling off of an Albatrosses' cargo port. Gems armor reflected the light from the now peering sun as it peeked through the clouds and her hair fluttering in the gusts of wind produced from the MAC's bombardment. Link let out a gasp of air, surprised and relieved. And from then, everything went black. All that could be seen from Links view was his head on Gems lap. Her gentle hand running down his face and her face smiling down upon him.

END

A/N: …. Aw. Yeah. WOO! Finally. That ends Chapter 6! xD took long enough. Plan on some new things in upcoming chapters though. I has sturff planned. :3 Its funny in this chapter, it wound up that Jerome wasn't even on the planet, kinda a reality shock. But anyhow, next chapter is gonna be nutz. UPDATE TIME! I got a pal of mine on Deviant Art to do some work for me. :D I'm having him do lots of stuff for this story so ill give you links to his page. So anyway, my pooch is doing good which is a flippin relief, and life is getting back on track. ^u^ that's what I like to hear! So remember, COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE! If not, I'll shoot you with a MAC Platform! Lol check ya'll next week my little Bear cubs and peeps!

Love ya! :]

Casey (Bearmaster)

Link to Stunnerman's Deviant Art page:

h t t p : / / s t u n n e r m a n . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m / # / d 3 i z 2 l t

sorry for the spacing crap. wont let it be a normal link for some reason... lolkbai


	19. Chapter 7: Hereafter

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, etc.)

By Casey Riffel

Chapter 7

Hereafter

Time: 2523 February 5, 1100

Location: Phoenix Class vessel, Definer, Slip Space (Reach bound)

Links eyes slowly widened. Out of focus and blurred, he could only make out a few objects. He was so tired and weak, moving felt impossible. The room seemed to be lite brightly, the walls resonated the sharp whitish yellow light from the ceiling. Blue panels lined the walls and a faint dipping and peeking of a solid line made a rhythm, that of a heartbeat.

After moving his fingers around slightly, like worms trying to move through the dirt, Link came to the conclusion he was in an infirmary and laying in a plushy bed. Something Link was not used to. With a groaned, Link's head began to slam with a pain he never felt before. Like as if the inner workings of his brain had been twisted. Link fought more and more to regain his consciousness, until he heard a voice he recognized.

"Uh-m, doctor? I think he's getting up!"

Kenny? Link though, beyond thrilled to know he had gotten off the planet before the shelling. Link then was able to move his arms slightly, trying to regain his consciousness.

"Don't move, sir. You need to rest!"

Kenny pushed on Links shoulder. His immense hand was unchallenged by Link as he fell back into his bed. Again, Link groaned, protesting to Kenny's demand. But what really caught Link off guard was what Kenny said. Sir.

Three Hours Later

It felt like coming out of a long rest. Links eyes widened easily now. No longer blurry or fuzzy from some unknown distortion. It felt good.

Sitting also felt good and just being able to feel anything felt fantastic, he thought. The warm bed and covers caressed his wounded body. Link tilted his head and investigated the room even more. Many wires and cords went underneath the sheets and into who knows where which all-lead back into the monitors in the walls. Link turned to see the machines and cringed as his arm flamed into pain. His primary arm was bound in countless layers of med-patches. An extensive burn. His skin was patchy and raw like meat as it stretched from his wrist to his elbow.

"Hm."

The reaction was less expected as he actually meant to yelp in fear. But he composed himself. Taking in his wound an inch at a time. Inspecting his arm was difficult. More scars Link thought as he ran his index finger along the scar that went from his left part of his face to lower neck.

A snort brought his attention to Kenny. The massive Agent sat in an extra chair with his head buried in the side of Links bed. Kenny wore his relaxation fatigues, which was a sleeveless shirt and cargo pants that were older than the dirt that was engrained into it. His hands dangling just above the floor and they tugged his body downward as his head stayed in place on the soft hospital mattress. Link chuckled as that was as close Kenny was going to get to a nice bed without getting hurt. Link lifted his good arm as if asking a question in school then slapped the side of his bed, very close to Kenny's head. The action made a huge snap sound that echoed in the room and instantly Kenny popped his head up with a snort, his medium length hair molded to one side and his eyes red as strawberries. Kenny's face was contorted to show his exhaustion and surprise.

"Whoa…"

Kenny said as he tried to wake himself up.

"Hey pal! What ya doin?"

Link asked, playing it off as if he did nothing.

"A-herm… I'm okay. How are you feeling?"

Kenny said as he rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. Link adjusted himself in the bed trying to get more comfortable.

"I'm feeling good. I have a headache, but nothing some meds wont fix."

Kenny shifted in his chair and yawned.

"Really? You've been out for a couple of hours."

"Don't worry about that."

Link smirked to Kenny and he took the smirk as a sign of relief. Kenny sighed as he tired to loosen up.

"That's a load off my back."

Link leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder. It was hard to really grasp what they had gone through, so there was much to talk about. Link began to sit back down as he remembered Gem. How could he forget about _her, _Link cursed himself in his head.

"Oh, Germaine is fine. She and I had been taking shifts watching over you. I thought I should tell you."

Kenny explained, as he knew that was what Link was thinking.

"Lord. Thank you."

Link covered his face with his hands and fell back to his pillows. As he held his head in his hands, he let out a huge rush of air. At least she was okay.

"Where is she now?"

Link asked somewhat afraid.

"She's sleeping. We're all exhausted."

Link nodded and sighed with reliefe, he thought about it for a couple of minutes as Kenny sat in thought, his elbows on his knees supporting his head. Link then removed his hands, blankly staring into the room. Letting his mind gather.

"How did I end up here?"

Link asked as he continued his stare.

"Well, Gem refused to leave you. So did I. We came back for you in an Albatross."

Link nodded, remembering how Gem repelled off the cargo port.

"Yeah, I can remember some of it."

"So, we went looking for you at the capitol and like some sort of miracle, the ceiling collapsed. We took a wild guess that you were there. Gem practically shit herself when she saw you."

Link chuckled as he thought of the imagery as he looked to Kenny, listening intently.

"Gem roped down and brought you up along with this weapon. Easy as that. We barely got away from the MAC's. I was able to look out the back when the capitol was toasted. What a fucking sight to see."

Kenny sat back in his chair with the makeshift device in his lap. The device looked like a steel pipe with a steel four by four cube at the end and another smaller cube at the end. Wires wrapped around the pipe and they were concealed half way up the length by tape that was supposed to be the handle with the trigger mechanism being nothing more than just an _on-off_ switch. Near the back where the smaller cube was a small screen that showed its charge.

"You should be happy you're alive. This thing shot you with enough volts to bring down a full-grown elephant. From what it looks like, it is a stunner on steroids."

Kenny said as Link rubbed his burnt arm.

"How'd I get this?"

Link asked plainly and pointed to his arm.

"The doctor said your suit malfunctioned. When it was crunched by the pieces of ceiling that fell on you, it overheated and burnt through your under suit. It probably didn't help either that you were electrocuted. Never heard of something like _that___happening before."

Kenny grunted as he pointed to Link's destroyed armor across the room. Link had overlooked the armor before because it was on a worktable near the door. Each piece was laid out according to where they went on the body, making a body shape on the table. Each piece seemed to have been damaged by the battle that had occurred. Links weapons survived the battle; the rifle, the staff, and the revolver were all laid neatly on the left of the disheveled armor. The green detail on the armor had chipped and cracked, showing signs of the struggle that occurred. What caught Links eye was the abdominal armor, the armor Paul punched directly. A fist sized dent about six inches in diameter and three inches deep. Link pondered how high he must have been to hit that hard and kept going.

"I'm not going to ask any details."

Link said as he looked back to Kenny.

"Yeah, it was nasty."

Kenny laughed a little as a shiver went up his spine thinking about Links skin under the melted armor.

"Where we headed?"

"We're going back to Reach. Halsey wants to see us. She has our partners all ready to go, apparently."

Kenny was skeptical of the Cerberus. He was at the very beginning. Link scratched his head, remembering one crucial detail.

"Oh…"

Link said as he mentally was preparing him for what he was about to ask.

"What were the casualties?"

Kenny's body language became grim from the question. He hung his head, as he knew that it was only a matter of time.

"The Marines took massive casualties. Over a hundred dead."

Link sat silently. The statistic making him sick to his stomach.

"And as for Unit Upsilon, our unit…"

Link elaborated. Kenny took in a deep breath.

"We took forty-one casualties out of the original hundred."

Link didn't move, all he did was breath and gritted his teeth. No emotion on his face.

"Twelve of which were killed by the Innies, and twenty-nine killed from not having enough time to get on a ship."

Link started to breath erratically, about to cry.

"God… Dammit…"

Link whimpered. But he had cried enough and it was time to put up a stiff upper lip.

"It just sucks that we didn't get Jerome."

Kenny said as he tapped his foot on the floor.

"All I got was his dunce brother. A fucking drug addict."

Link punched into the mattress. The air underneath rushed from the covers.

"He kinda kicked the shit out of you too."

Kenny laughed awkwardly and Link chimed in as he tried to toughen up.

"Yeah. He put up a hard fight."

Link lifted his hospital gown to show a massive welt where Paul punched his gut. It was a nice reddish blue as it showed the finger marks. Link poked it to see how sensitive it was. Instantly it stung with a harsh pain.

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, prodding tends to hurt."

Link laughed as Kenny chuckled. It was good to laugh again. What had happened was horrible and it would stick with them for the rest of their lives. But Link knew that if he had soldiers, family, like Kenny and Gem by his side, getting through those tough times wouldn't be so hard.

"Thanks, Ken."

The appreciation Link felt was true, and Kenny felt the same. Kenny bowed his head and smirked.

"No problem."

Three Days Later

Location: ONI Building, New Alexandria, Reach

The Definer had come out of the slipstream early, giving the crew and the Marines two days to relax and let off steam. Since Slip Space wasn't always accurate, it was common to be early or late by a few days. Link had been bed-ridden for the entire period but some female company made it more bearable. The electrocution had scrambled Links nervous system and it took some time to recalibrate, steadily.

Gradually, Link was able to walk again after much assistance from Gem, Kenny and the doctors. His legs felt like they had been shot with needles that were on fire, but in order for the nerves to reactivate, walking was important.

"Easy."

Gem whispered into Links ear as she held Links arm around her shoulder. The two worked their way into the ONI building to where Halsey summoned them and the others. The two wore their casual fatigues given to them by the UNSC, which didn't consist of much, just a tank top and tan cargo pants. The building didn't feel the same, Link thought as he focused on putting one foot in front of the other. The two wore supply sacks on their backs, since Halsey told them to bring anything they needed for a _trip._ Link was uneasy on the idea of a vacation with Jerome still roaming the sector, but he knew the importance of letting off steam.

The two hobbled into an elevator in the main lobby and Gem pressed the floor button that Halsey indicated. Link jumped as the elevator did, getting a flashback of the time before. The last time he could remember being in an elevator like that was back on New Jerusalem. The memories were hard to suppress as Link recalled the entire episode. The lines of his face contorted as he flinched, the thought was lingering like a cancer in his mind.

"Hey, you okay?"

Gem asked as she adjusted Links arm over her shoulder. Link was able to put aside the thoughts as he glanced into Gems eyes. With a nod of his head, she went back into believing everything was fine.

The elevator chimed as it reached the level they wanted and the doors opened to reveal an open hallway. The lobby was smaller than the main lobby but it still was massive. There were two hallways on each side of a tall built-in desk that seemed to go into an auditorium, a reminiscent sight Link thought. A woman sitting behind the desk stood as she saw Link and Gem exit the elevator, and she bowed her head in a greeting.

"Commander Henderson, it is a pleasure to meet you. Doctor Halsey is right through there."

Link smiled at the woman and followed her finger to the left hallway. Link was not sure how to respond to being called Commander, though. It was the first time being acknowledged as that rank, and it was strange. Ever since Derrick died everyone had been treating Link differently and it would need to be addressed.

Right as Link thought of that, the door to the auditorium slid open, revealing an oval room with stadium like seats that went in a circle around the center stage. The remaining Agents sat in the rows along with some sparse Marines who had tagged along since the end of the last mission. Halsey stood in the center and was talking about a Hologram that was centered in the stage, which was some sort of ship. She soon stopped to acknowledge Link and Gem. The room shifted their gaze to Link and in an instant the room got quiet.

"Commanding officer on deck!"

Kenny yelled as he stood with a snap. The room entire room did the same. It made Link somewhat angry for some reason. It was like a joke to him that they were responding to him like that. But all he could do was nod.

"At ease."

Link said, remembering what his superiors used to say to him when he saluted. The room eased and sat back down.

"Glad to see you could make it, Henderson."

Halsey said sarcastically in a joking tone.

"Its good to be back."

Link fired back at Halsey with the same tone, which in a way said he didn't want to be there. Halsey giggled slightly, truly happy to see Link.

"Its good to have you back."

Halsey grinned, something she rarely does, at Link. He sighed as he sat down with Gems help. Gem sat next to him, forgetting to let go of his hand.

"Anyway, back to business. Link, as you may or may not know, today you get your Cerberus partner. But you missed some details that the others heard. I hope no one minds if I repeat it?"

Halsey asked quizzically, and instantly some of the room to mumbled in protest.

"Too bad, I'm going to anyway."

Link and some of the others laughed at Halsey's response, but her face was completely serious which actually made the situation slightly funnier.

"As of now, you are all official IRC Agents. The IRC is now a legitimate organization within ONI. For the past three days I have been working very hard to get it organized and finalized. No more than ten hours ago, ONI accepted the idea."

Link wondered where she was going.

"You all, Unit Upsilon, are the first unit to be given your status as a Freelance unit."

Link and Gem continued to listen, somewhat confused.

"This means you are no longer a part of the UNSC."

Link was stunned. He didn't know what to say or how to respond in general, and all he could say was a slow huh.

"Don't get me wrong here, you will still be fighting with the UNSC and the Marines, it just means you have you make your own rules."

Link was still confused.

"What do you mean?"

Link asked the most obvious question.

"After what happened down on New Jerusalem…"

Halsey paused, knowing what that name entailed would mentally hurt some of the Agents. It did. Some Agents sunk their heads into their chests while some tried not to break down. It was a sad sight indeed, so Halsey tried to correct it.

"I never want you to go in head first into some political battle."

Halsey said, a quiver in her voice.

"I want you all to live, to die, for something."

Halsey said as she turned to the Holotank, where the hologram of the Destroyer class ship was turning slowly. Halsey gathered herself before continuing.

"The IRC is not your standard organization. It has no CEO's, no lawyers, and no politicians. It is privately funded and it will run differently than the UNSC. So trust me."

Halsey turned to her audience, her eyes watery.

"You will never be thrown to the wolves like that again."

Link sat back and took a big breath in. That was a lot to handle.

"But, anyway, Uh-hem, that means you are the going to have your own Destroyer class ship with your own crew and you will do with it how you feel to rid the colonies of the Insurrection and any plot against us. All of which will be provided by numerous locations."

Link's gaze turned angry as she told that directly to him, thinking he was their leader.

"Why did you say that to me? I'm not the commander, okay? Don't you have a Spartan or a Veteran that can lead the unit?"

Link asked with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"Well, Derrick Schwartz promoted you, making you the unit lead-"

Link sprang up, his legs still wobbly.

"Derricks' DEAD!"

Link yelled at Halsey. The room went silent as a woman Agent across the room began to cry. It was hard for everyone to cope with the stress.

"I never wanted to be the leader of Upsilon. WHY ME?"

Link screamed as he jabbed at his chest with his index finger, pointing at himself in a way. Halsey took the anger with a grain of salt, knowing there was a lot on his mind.

"Lincoln, Derrick promoted you a day before his death."

Link's anger began to subside as his confusion grew.

"What do you mean?"

Halsey sighed.

"He knew he wasn't a real leader. He contacted me two days before his death pleading me to discharge him. The pressure was too much for him, and so I took the leadership away from him. I asked him who he wanted to make the new leader of Upsilon."

Halsey paused as she picked up a steel one-foot by one-foot rectangular box; the wording on the side was too small to read. She then signaled Link to come to her. It was hard for Link to move, his legs still tight from the paralysis, but some anxiety as well. Link made his way down the walkway, stumbling over his own feet to get to her. The walkway was about a hundred feet long and it took Link a while to make it half way. In one not so fluid motion, Link fell to the carpet. Kenny, who had been right behind Link the entire time went to help him, but was swatted away by Links hand. With one huge push, Link began to march to the stage. All of his energy was put to walking and nothing else. As he made it to the stage, Halsey smiled down onto him, Link going up one stair at a time like if each was a mountain. When he finally reached the top, Halsey grabbed his hand, letting him use her for support. When they finally made it to the box, Halsey rubbed the back of Links head, lovingly.

"He wanted you."

Halsey said softly as she picked up the box. She flipped the two locks holding the top in place and with a creek the top came off. Link popped his head above the opening to see a brand new SCCD device neatly placed in the middle. The device glowed its florescent blue and it now had green details. Link couldn't help but fall to his knee. What came over him was more like a rush of mixed emotions. Relief, sadness, and a little bit of happiness. What had been troubling Link since he knew of the promotion was the fact that he earned it through death, and now that it was earned through the trust of his fallen friend, it made sense now. It wasn't some sort of act of last minute duty, but more of an act of trust. Link couldn't help but sob as the flow of emotion surged through him. Halsey put the box down next to him and knelt down beside him, rubbing his back.

"Look around you."

Halsey lifted Links head by his chin. Link wiped his eyes as he still whimpered to see the entire room was with him, all-sobbing along with him. All Link could do was close his eyes and stand back up, rubbing his eyes dry.

"I wont let you down."

Link said as he grabbed the device from the box. He looked at it, back and forth, inspecting it as he sniffled. The room was able to watch him although they too were crying. With a thrust into the air, Link showed the room the SCCD device with no wobbling or weakness in his body.

"I wont let you or anyone else down!"

Link said as he looked at everyone in the room, Gem, Kenny, and Halsey. Every Agent cheered as they tried to stop their collective crying. Link could feel the resonating emotion in the room, and it lifted his heart back to where it once was. Halsey got back up from behind him and approached him. With a rub on his back, she smiled.

"Look at that, you changed your mind."

Link smiled back as he continued to look at the device. The room still clattered with the collective cheers of the Agents. Then Halsey lifted her hands and asked for them to quiet down. They listened but it was hard to stop the flow of emotion.

"You all have a week before you ship out. I'll give you the schematics for the ship you will be using and all you will need to get ready for your journey."

Halsey informed Link. She then looked at the rest of the Agents in the room still telling them to quiet down.

"And for now, head down to the floor below us. There you will find your dorms where you will stay in for the next week. You'll have your time to call loved ones, spend some credits, and what not. Make haste, your partners are waiting for you inside your rooms and there is a surprise in your rooms to get your IRC campaign started."

Moments Later

Link and the others had just left the auditorium and it was time to relax for a while. The others were just entering their rooms and some were already getting acquainted with their partners. The dogs seemed to get along well so far. Each Agent had a different species of dog. One Agent who was running up and down the corridor with his partner was paired up with a German Shepard. Kenny on the other hand was given a Bloodhound. The drooping face was hysterical to Link and the dog was defiantly to Kenny's liking. Gem walked out of her dorm with a beautiful dog, very similar to a husky, but white. She rubbed its face and sat next to it.

It was odd to see the dogs because they too had been modified. Only at six months old, most of the dogs were already at massive sizes and it made Link think how much bigger they were going to get. Their left eye had been removed and a synthetic one was put in its place. Every dog had one of these eyes and according to Halsey it would improve their sight and other things. They didn't look very different than a normal eye, except they had a blue neon-like iris and the whites where a steel gray. It was funny as well because they matched the amount of growth their partner did, so it didn't look as if they were bigger than normal. The dogs felt the same since the day they were born smaller people were handling them.

"I love her so much! I'm going to name her Joana."

Gem said as she rubbed her dog's head. It liked the attention and began to lick her face. Kenny then looked down at his hound.

"I have no idea what I'm going to name ya, buddy."

The dog seemed to understand and it just shrugged. A response most of the Agents didn't expect. Link was excited to see his Cerberus. Ever since he became an Olympian he was waiting to get his partner and now he was getting him. Link could barely hold in his excitement as he opened the door to his dorm. Once it opened, he saw the massive, statuesque form of his partner. The dog sat perfectly up right. Not moving at all. Its eyes focused on Link like a hawk and Link froze. The dog was mostly black with a brown belly and a white chest that went all the way up to his face. There were brown patches right above his eyes that looked almost like eyebrows and its nose perked, as it smelled the air constantly. His tail didn't even budge to show excitement and that worried Link. Link lifted his hand up and then placed it palm down on his knee. With a smile Link called to him.

"Hey boy. How you doing?"

Link asked it as if waiting for a response. The dog didn't move and just stared at his hand. Then he moved his glance back up to Links eyes. Link straightened his back, and tilted his head.

"What's 'amater boy?"

Link said as he approached the dog. It still didn't move. Link rubbed his head and expected some sort of response, a tail wag, or a lick. Nothing. Link knelt down next him and got to eye level. Link stared right back at the dog, both unyielding to the other. Link then stood up, he gave up on the dog at that point, thinking it may do something if he ignored him.

"Fine. You don't want my attention, obviously."

Link went over to the table where there was a small stack of papers Halsey had gathered for him. One was of the schematic of the Destroyer he would be commanding and the other looked like a payment slip with the new IRC emblem on it along with the Unit Upsilon emblem. The IRC emblem was a simple shield with the letters IRC in the center going left to right. While the unit emblem was much more detailed with the original Greek letter in the center with the U cradling it. Link liked it for its simplicity.

"What's this?"

Link asked himself. Link took a closer look and it surprised him. It was payment for the mission he had done. Apparently since the IRC was now an organization that was privately funded, Link and the others would get payment on missions with a varying amount depending on their performance. Link was stunned to see his earnings.

"One… Million… Credits…"

Link said slowly to himself. At the bottom of the paper was Halsey's handwriting.

_Dearest Lincoln. _

_ This is the surprise that I said was in your rooms. Really it's just a payment of a lot of credits. This is what you earned for doing what you did on New Jerusalem. I'm not rewarding you for your actions down there, but you got most of the job done nonetheless. _

_ These credits can go to anything you desire, whether it is using it to buy upgrades for your armor or buying booze. But I do NOT want you to go out and buy a million credits worth of booze, just be smart. You have an account with the ONI bank that I made for you and the others; it will help keep your money in line. I apologize for making you upgrade your own suit, since the IRC is a different organization then the UNSC, the stuff doesn't come to you for free or cheep. Sorry. I hope you like your Cerberus partner! _

_ Halsey_

Link sighed and smiled as he read the letter. Halsey was great to him and he liked having her looking out for him and the others. Link put the payment on back on the counter and picked up a different sheet. It was all of the information about Links partner.

"Bernese Mountain Dog, age point five years, Subject 23."

Link moved the paper away to see the dog looking at him.

"Name undecided, given name, General Issue."

Link scratched his head, as he didn't know what to even call the dog. Then it came to him. Easy, elegant, and somewhat funny.

"General."

Link smirked as he looked back at the dog. The dog still didn't respond and Link was really getting feed up with his attitude.

"Fine! Don't talk to me."

Link said laughing under his breath. A dog talking would be ridiculous, he though.

"That name is satisfactory. Master Henderson."

END

A/N: WHOA. Surprise ending! :D take THAT readers. That was a pretty emotional chapter at first. Kinda made me sad at the beginning. But the dogs made it better. I hope this chapter was good, I kind of feel meh about it, but please, tell me what ya think in the comments. ^_^ so as I said before, I got a guy on Deviant Art to do some work for me. He has only done one pic so far but its pretty well and there is more comin. Yep! That's it for today's chapter. Death came in and now life continues on. One of my favorite facts of life as it is so beautiful. So yeah, COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE if you haven't already and see ya next Sunday my lil Bear cubs! Later.

Casey (Bearmaster)


	20. Ch 8: But the Dog Beat Me Over the Fence

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, Etc.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 8

But the Dog Beat Me Over the Fence

Link dropped the dossier of General back down on the table, his movements slow and cautious because of what he had just heard. Twisting on his heels, Link turned to see General had moved right behind him and was still in his sitting stoic pose. Link jumped and fell back on the table, using it to catch his fall. The papers shifted and scuttled and fell to the floor from the force.

"Did you… Uh… Did you just…"

Link covered his mouth with his index finger and middle finger, pushing his lips back in a frightened manner.

"I am trying to communicate, Master Henderson."

The dog moved his mouth exactly like a human and words flowed out like there was a person trapped in its stomach. Link's eyes widened as he watched the dog _talk._

"This isn't right. This isn't possible."

Link said to himself as he began to pace, looking at the dog in quick short bursts. The thought of a dog talking was ridiculous, could he just be hallucinating from stress? He thought.

"It is possible Master Henderson, and it is reality."

The dog opened his mouth again and let more words flow from its lips. Link stopped his pacing and knelt down in front of the dog, skeptical of what he was seeing. With one hand, Link grabbed the massive dogs muzzle and moved his head in every direction possible as he inspected it.

"So what gives you the ability of speech? I mean, dogs don't have the mental capability to talk and you lack the essential physical parts to do so, like a larynx."

General tugged away and licked his lips after the feeling of Links hand had rubbed all over it.

"We Cerberi have been modified since and before birth genetically and surgically. Mother had increased our minds by implanting an operating system's unit in our Cerebral Cortex. That along with many Frontal Lobe modifications allowed us to have more complex thought and an enhanced Temporal Lobe to understand and produce speech."

Link was following along quiet well but had a question to ask.

"What do you mean, Mother?"

General paused, looking somewhat puzzled. Then he took in another breath, stopping right before speaking, gathering his thoughts.

"I believe her name is Halsey."

"Oh, okay. I should have guessed."

Link cursed himself in his mind, agitated in a way for not guessing it right off the bat. It was bluntly obvious. General then shook his head, readying for another spree of talking.

"The _OS _helped us to transfer our thoughts into electrical impulses that would activate our artificially enhanced larynx. That with a Parietal Lobe modification for enhanced movement of the mouth and tongue. Hence why you hear what you are hearing now."

Link understood all of what General was saying. It was truly intriguing to hear the entire process.

"Go on, please."

Link said as he sat down on the floor, his arms supporting his head under his chin.

"After the mind altering modifications were complete, Mother then modified our bodies. Hence why we are not the average sizes you're used to."

General kept his pose as he sniffed the air slightly. Link rubbed his eyes, as he still felt somewhat blindsided.

"Is this too much to handle, Master Henderson?"

General said plainly.

"Uh, no. I'm fine."

Link said as he pushed aside the persistent questions flowing through his mind.

"Good. I might as well tell you then that during _your_ body modifications, Mother took a Flash clone of your brain and placed it into our OS's."

Link tilted his head.

"So what does that mean?"

General snorted.

"In theory, it means I am you. My personality I have is shaped slightly to the OS's data and presets. Quiet simple actually."

General looked proudly at his own coat, looking as if he was perfect as well.

"Isn't someone modest?"

Link said under his breath. General snorted again as he glared at Link, his one natural eye was focused on Link exactly like before. The other eye glowed with a low blue light that too intrigued Link.

"Hey, why did she remove your eye?"

"It is a combat assistant. It helps me target certain objects, increased night vision in this eye, and it has a video feed that transmits to your suit, allowing you to see what I'm seeing."

Link sat dumbfounded by how incredible the project was. Man's best friend becoming completely conscious, something no one had ever thought before being a reality.

"Jesus Halsey, you are a freak of nature."

"Mother."

"What?"

Link asked in a vexed manner.

"I prefer to call her Mother."

General said snootily. That got on Links nerves as the sound crawled up Links spine.

"I call her Halsey. Deal with it."

"I _prefer_ to call her MOTHER. _YOU _deal with it."

General growled as the two got in a stare down over the topic. The sound of Links door didn't stop their gaze.

"They you two!"

Gem and her partner came into the room to the sight of General and Link in an epic competition of willpower. She stood awkwardly with her hand on her side, thinking what to say.

"So. How's it-"

"NOT NOW."

General and Link said at the same time in the same tone. They still didn't budge. Gem just glanced at her partner and shrugged.

"Whatever."

Joana, Gem's partner, said quiet composed. Her voice was similar to Gems and it brought Link out of his stare down with General. Link hadn't noticed, but General sounded so similar to himself. But the sound was almost parental then his own. It sounded like Links dad. Link then sat back against the chair that was up against the table. General sensed that Link was no longer in the match.

"Master?"

Link's mind was in a state of nostalgia, thinking about his family. The fact that General had such a relation seemed to make Link think twice about General, Link thought that maybe having a partner like General wouldn't be so bad.

"Come here."

Link said as he patted the spot on the floor next to him. General sat in his stoic pose still, not acknowledging the signal. Link caught the slight glance General gave to the floor, and knew he wanted attention, but his ego was too inflated to let go.

"Fine, I'll come to you."

Link scooted across the floor and sat right next to General. The fur on the back of Generals neck stood as he growled shallowly at Link. Ignoring his threat, Link patted him on the head, not expecting anything in return.

"I guess we both will have to get used to this. Huh."

Link asked General in a joking tone. General stopped his growling and looked at Link, a minute grin was pasted on his face and General darted his head away.

"Yes. It will take some time to accustom to this partnership."

* * *

Time: 2523 February 12, 0020

Location: Southern Manassas, Reach

"I'll tell ya when I've had enough! How 'bout ye stop pushin' me ya Ball-bag!"

A man yelled as two large bouncers pushed him rather roughly out of an ally bar. The man fell over and just laughed away on the dirty and wet ally. His expensive suit collecting the grim off the ground and the two bouncers just shrugged and went back inside the bar.

"Don't come back you fucking mick!"

The man didn't stop laughing as the bouncer rolled his eyes and slammed the door behind him. The man slowed his laughing to a chuckle as he pushed himself off the ground and to a somewhat standing pose, his arms dangling like wrecking balls.

"Shut your gob you fuckin'… Hater!"

The man roared at the closed door, still not quiet right with his words. He stumbled over his own feet as he walked down the murky ally. The busy street just a hundred feet away glimmered with the passing cars and the sound of massive engines made their presence known from the spaceport that was at the center of the city.

Manassas was one of those cities that never slept. The metropolis of New York was its model and it did a very good job of replicating the feel. The centerpiece of the city was the spaceport, large enough that hundreds of transports left every day.

The man eventually reached the street, where a black car came speeding up and slammed on its breaks. The wheels squealed as the car made a seamless stop as the driver door and back right passenger door swung open. A bald man with black glasses flew out of the car, wearing an all-back suit, he ran over to the drunken man grabbing his arm and flinging him into the car.

"Jasus, don't do that man, you'll put the heart crossways in me."

The drunken man mumbled as he rearranged himself on the comfortable leather seats.

"I apologize, but the public should see you like this."

"Dry up, Henry. I know."

The driver smacked the shifter as he closed the door behind him, slamming on the accelerator.

"It's Gary, Adam. I've been your assistant for ten years."

"I'm sorry. AND it's McAllen to you, Gilbert."

The drunken man said as he slipped into the seat.

"Its GAR-."

"I don't care."

Adam responded as he opened the seat next to him, which held three bottles of whisky. The bottles were all lined up perfectly, their imported black bottles came straight from Earth and they glimmered with that expensive shine all people know.

"Why are you doing this?"

The driver said, totally ignored by Adam who chose the proper bottle after some deciding.

"It's a noble gesture to fund the project, but why go on an adventure like this?"

Adam popped the cork off the bottle with his teeth, spitting the cork on the floor for safe keeping and swung the bottle back. The driver kept his eyes on the road, looking in the rearview mirror every few seconds to make sure he didn't choke on the bottleneck.

"It won't bring her back."

The driver said quietly as he turned left down a busy one lane street. People lined the street, mostly younger civilians who were in no rush to get to their destinations. Some homeless squeezed into the corners of building hallways getting away from the misty cold winds that swept through the streets.

Adam did nothing but keep drinking. The whiskey burned his throat. Nothing was going to detour him from his choice, he thought. Peace was long gone from his heart and he needed to satisfy the bloodlust he had yearned for.

"Okay."

The driver said, as he didn't expect a response. The road became wider as they entered the interstate. Many lanes merged as the black car disappeared into the current of fast moving cars.

* * *

Time: 2523 February 13, 1032

Location: East Bound to Manassas

A transport Pelican soared through the air, splitting the air that hit the tips of its wings, which produced a trail of white mist that covered their path. They flew at a very high altitude that didn't faze the soldiers who sat in the cargo bay. Link, Gem, Kenny and the other Agents sat in the bay with their helmets next to them. They chatted about what it would be like on the ship along with their Cerberi partners who sat next to their masters' legs. Not being in the UNMC was somewhat frightening to them; the Marine core was all they knew. Having free reign was going to be a new experience, one they would need to adapt to. As Link thought about how well the Agents adapted to their previous battles it wouldn't take long.

Link had taken the time he had before hand to compose himself. The time allowed him to call his family, something he hadn't done for a while. Link's little brother answered the phone first and couldn't believe he was calling. Link asked him to be quiet and not to tell his parents that he was there but he did it anyway. His mother was crying she was so happy to see him, but was shocked to the point of anger at Links decision to join the Olympians. The first thing she noticed was the scar on his face had shrunk and then she noticed his body, how much larger he was. The ranting that ensued from there was enough to make a person deaf. Then his father came on. Not much was said. Links father was not a man of words. The spectrum of dialogue went from _yeah_ to _okay_, basic.

But Link was happy to see his family again. Especially when taking on a massive challenge like this. Although his parents didn't accept the fact he had joined a project like the Olympians without a word of their consent, they were beyond proud of him for earning the spot of Commander and at such a young age.

After the call, Link did some spending of credits. Getting his armor fixed was the most expensive venture. The dings, dents and broken parts added up to about five hundred thousand credits, half of his earnings from the New Jerusalem campaign. Then came upgrading his armor for what was available; getting a new visor that was shatter-proof, reinforced armor that could withstand considerable punishment, and a new modified med-scanner for the one that broke during his fight with Paul. That put another dent in his earnings in about two hundred fifty thousand credits. The rest he had left over was put into his account, a decent amount to get started.

The entire Upsilon Unit wore their armor, including the Cerberi. The armor of the Cerberi was unique. Completely different from armor attack dogs would usually wear, but weeing as though they were much more than just attack dogs, they needed special armor as well. The suit had an under armor similar to the Olympians except it was much looser, allowing the fur to be unrestrained. Then the under suit was covered by a tight fitting composite metal shell, the exact elements used for the Olympian suits. The suit was mostly airtight; the only flesh showing was the ears and tail. As an added bonus, the suits had a built in defense rifle mounted just above the left shoulder. Link was curious to see them in action.

The Pelican was bringing the unit to Manassas for what Halsey called Homecoming. Easily enough, they were being brought to their new home, a brand new heavy Destroyer class ship that was purchased by one of the funders. Link had gone over the blueprints extensively and he was as prepared as he could be to lead the ship. Being a Commander would be the hardest thing Link had ever done, but he felt ready. The new SCCD on Links arm reminded him of Derrick and his sacrifice that he made that day. It wouldn't be left behind.

The Pelican then made a steep dive. It would only be moments before they were down at the spaceport and their new adventure would begin. The Agents all got quiet, feeling the time was almost upon them to see their new home. In only a few moments they would be exploring the cosmos, ridding the galaxy of the Insurrection. Some felt like superheroes, while others felt it was more of a debt they needed to pay. Either way, they would have their own ship fighting for what they felt was right.

After a painfully slow landing process, the Pelican landed. The pilot then turned to Link, his face covered by the respirator and he gave thumbs up, signaling it was okay to stand. Link stood before the rest, making sure he had his audience ready.

"Everyone."

Link said sternly to his unit. They stopped just as he spoke, their attention pulled to him.

"I know I'm your _commander_ now, but I'm still a medic and I'll help you when you're down. I'm still your brother. Don't think of me as anything more."

Everyone listened, even the Cerberi. General was not impressed.

"I don't really know what else to say."

The folds in Link's face showed his distress. Gem stood right as the Pelican touched down. The kick from the Pelican's landing gear touching down made her fall towards him. Links arms jutted out and caught her by the shoulders. Gem exhaled as she regained her balance, and she kissed Link on the cheek.

"We trust you."

A glance showed the entire cargo hold nodding. General was the only one not interested, he was more absorbed in inspecting his armor a few more times over. With time, Link thought. A loud unlatching sound of the cargo door made Link turn around, the door began to lower and the natural light began to flow in. Link and the others slid on their helmets to prepare for entering their new lives.

"Lets go see what we're dealing with."

Link said as the door clicked on the hard tarmac. Wind blew furiously and the sun desperately tired to peek though the dense cloud cover. With a hope in his step, Link exited the transport, the others followed suit. General didn't want to be left behind so he was out before the others and by Links side.

"Commander! It's great to meet ya!"

Through the dense wind Link saw a sharply dressed man. He looked familiar, a face that was on many magazines. The red stubble on his face showed he hadn't saved for a few days and his accent was heavy. Link tried to recall where it was from but couldn't for the life of him.

"Uh hi?"

Link said cautiously. Link stuck out his hand for a handshake and the man grabbed it with vigor and then went further by gripping Links forearm with his free hand. Link couldn't help but look confused but the man didn't see due to the visor. The handshake lasted for a couple of seconds before the red haired man got the point.

"Oh, that's right. You have the slightest fok of who I am. The name is Adam McAllen."

Instantly Kenny came up from behind the two. Link felt Kenny's hand wrap around his shoulder and give a shove.

"OH MY GOD! You're McAllan?"

Kenny said in a high-pitched tone. Link just rubbed the back of his helmet.

"You know everyone don't you."

Link said under his breath.

"Well no shit! He's the guy who made the Cyclops unit!"

The man tucked his arm into his stomach and gave a little nod of acknowledgment. Link knew him like a celebrity, he knew a lot about him, but could easily forget about him.

"Okay! I know you. You're the trillionaire from Earth."

Adam chuckled.

"You'd be correct sir."

Link looked at General who was now by his side. They were both confused.

"I'm funding this unit of yours, Commander."

Adam took a few steps back as the full unit came to order behind Link, Gem and Kenny directly behind Link with the others right behind them. The now forty-three-person unit stood with the sun to their faces. Adam felt somewhat discouraged due to his height in comparison to the seven-foot tall soldiers.

"I read the documents. We really do appreciate your donat-"

Link didn't anticipate the sight he and his unit saw. The ship they would be using was just coming down from the skies. The heavy Destroyer class warship sliced through the clouds like a chainsaw through wood. The clouds gripped to the front of the ship like strings. It was glorious, the shine of the massive titanium plates glowed like gold. The metal that lined the front of the ship were like blades cutting though the air. Seven lights shined on the front plates were exposing a blank space on the platting; wait to light up a name. The four engines made a rectangular shape on its rear with white clouds flowing out behind them. Towards the back were yet another round of two titanium slabs, these were set on a thirty-degree angle towards the ships hull. Another titanium plate located in the middle of the others held the IRC emblem along with the Unit Upsilon emblem directly under it. Though the details were mesmerizing, nothing could compare to the size of the ship itself. In the blueprints, it was about five hundred meters long, about as long as a UNSC Frigate. But what set it apart was it was twice as heavy. That was mainly due to its revolutionary two MAC primary weapon outfit. All in all, it was a new type of warship that was one to be feared.

Link and the others braced themselves as the ship descended. A rush of air went over the tarmac and Adam, being the smallest, had the hardest time keeping his place. Link grabbed the short man by the arm and helped him to stand straight. The ship managed to get hovering faster than most ships and the ship was only about a thousand feet above the ground, its lower jets holding it in place. The short Irishman rearranged his ear length red hair and fixed his suit as the unit stood speechless.

"Well, what are ye waitin' for? Lets check out the place!"

END

A/N: A few new characters emerge here today. I hope everyone found this to be of his or her liking? :] It took me a little longer to write the scene of the ship coming down cause I wanted to make sure you know what it looks like. I was like "THEY MUST KNOW HOW AWESOME THIS IS!" … literally. I said that and my sister's cat was like huh? Lol but yeah tell me what u think of it plz! ^u^ and greetings from the sunny and somewhat cloudy Santa Cruz! I am visiting my sis at her college and I was surprised I was even able to get this out on time. OH, one more thing, Stunnerman on DevianArt has done some more work for me! I shalt give you the link below. But that is for this week. Remember, COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE! Until next Sunday my bear cubs. BYE!

Casey (Bearmaster)

Stunnerman's Link:

h t t p : /my. deviantart. com/ messages /#/ d3ljg8g

Just delete the spaces. :p


	21. Chapter 9: Gimme Shelter

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, Etc.)

By Casey Riffel

Chapter 9

Gimme Shelter

The Hanger

"This thing is huge!"

Link said as he and the other Agents followed Adam through the many different corridors of the ship. Adam was trying to keep in front of the Agents, but due to his height, he kept getting passed.

"Of course its huge, ya foking idiot! This ship was designed and created by yours truly. I wouldn't stand for a scrawny ship that wouldn't hold its weight in battle."

Adam adjusted his suit. He seemed to be quiet proud of his creation. Link then returned on his comment as a few of the crewmen saluted as they passed.

"I thought that this ship was already made and you bought it from the UNMC?"

Adam chuckled at Link's question in an uncomplimentary manner and turned to Link, keeping his step as he walked backwards.

"Ya see, I made this ship from the original designs, with some of me own lil' additions as well."

The group passed a huge area on the port side of the ship. It was bustling with crewmen getting Warthogs, Cyclops', Pelicans, Albatrosses and Scorpions in working order. The room was at least two hundred meters long and fifty meters wide. There were three monstrous rectangular doors that lined the outer wall of the ship that were open to the outside; letting Pelicans in and out with some supplies and the remaining crew. Some even looked like Marines and ODST's. The room was large enough that it fit a small attacking force within it.

"A garage? I thought that Destroyers couldn't have them."

Link asked in a confused tone. Adam chuckled again and walked out onto the catwalk that went around the entire ceiling of the room. He signaled Link and the others to follow.

"See, I figured, a ship needs a hanger. Especially one that will be doing a lot of work like this bird."

Adam said in a suggestive tone as he patted a girder as it passed. Link was following along and glanced to General who was down at his side. Although Link hadn't quiet perfected Generals facial expressions, he knew what his face he had on at the moment from the many times Link himself had gotten it. Uninterested.

"Having a hanger allows a more versatile battle strategy. Only a dope would disagree."

Link nodded to himself while looking at the people below as they worked on the vehicles below. They were strapping down the vehicles, getting ready for leaving Reach's atmosphere. The Pelicans that were already inside began hooking up to the ceiling system, which held the Pelicans in place when not needed. A crewman slowly guided the hovering bulk backward as it made its way back and with a clack, the clamps grabbed onto the rear and front engines. With a slow whirl, the engines stopped and began to cool.

"Getting rid of half of the Port-side Battleplate and half of the Archer weaponry was a necessary sacrifice for this advancement. This entire hanger is complemented with six Pelicans, four Albatrosses, ten M-eight-oh-eight-B tanks, twenty-five warthogs of different variations, and ten of my own designed Cyclops power units! It gives me chills."

Adam jumped a little while looking down at the garage below. A Cyclops unit approached the catwalk and then twisted around, its movements were very human in a sense. The way it moved its arms in accordance to each step was fluid like a human. The unit's hatch swung open and revealed a pilot, wearing most a usual pilots fatigues; he unbuckled himself from the combat harness and took a step out of the cockpit. His attention was brought to the group and he waved in a polite manner, his smirk covered by his facemask. The man then pushed a set of buttons on the dashboard and with a jolt the unit began to situate itself against the wall where many cufflinks held it in place while it powered down. Kenny laughed to himself with a stupefied look on his face.

"That was cool."

"I know! Brilliant concept, while they sit there they are getting the charge they need from the reactors."

Link was impressed but concerned. The idea of having a Hanger and garage was important, but having a fully defendable hull was most important, especially when in a full ship engagement.

"What about if we were to be engaged by an enemy ship? Having half of the armor and weaponry on the Port-side would be a weakness."

"Don't be shook. Those doors are one and a half meter think Titanium doors, capable of taking a MAC round and still be smilin'! It also helps that there is two doors instead if just one."

Adam pointed to the doors as they began to close; red lights began to flash above the doors signaling they were closing and a siren began to blare, making sure that no one was near the opening. The first set of doors was on the outer walls that closed first and then there was a _medium _where there was enough space for a Pelican to land in. Then the second set of doors, which lined the inner walls of the ship, began to close as well. Once closed, a sound came from the sides of the doors as they pressurized which gave off a burst of air. The sound resembled a hydraulic piston compressing. Like a drawbridge, the locking mechanisms moved into place where they latched the door shut completely.

"Interesting. Would that allow for ships to come in and out when in a vacuum?"

"Yes, actually. That's what I intended. The double doors allow the squawkers to enter and exit the hanger while in the abyss. I love that!"

Adam said as he stopped walking, he just hovered over the entire hanger with his eyes before turning to the group and smiling.

"How 'bout we see the other stuff!"

The Engine Room ~ The ER

The inner bowls of the ship proved to be more like a maze than a ship. The crew that worked in "the dungeon", as Adam put it, were like rats. They constantly would appear from around a dark corner then disappear into another corner of the ship. Kenny tired to catch one of them but was unable to follow the squirming individual as vanished between more piping. Kenny and his Cerberi were intrigued, wanting to follow the mousy individual and stayed behind as Adam continued his tour.

"As you can see-"

Adam was cut off as he knelt down to dodge a low hanging girder. Link didn't see it until he walked directly into it, his armor clanking against the flimsy alloy, causing Gem to jump. Link stuck his tongue out at Gem and she just poked Link in the side with her index finger. General did nothing but ignore Link and Gem as he followed Adam further in.

"This place is kinda foked up. Its still a work in progress, HEY!-"

Adam interrupted himself as he grabbed a woman engineer as she passed, her hair was tied in a tight bun and her face was covered with grease. Her eyes were covered by what looked like slime covered engineer goggles to block the intense steam that would sometimes spout out of the pipes. She didn't really expect a sudden change in her stride and stumbled backwards. The first image that popped in his head that reminded him of that girl was a mole; blind due to lack of sun exposure and mostly led by memory.

"SIR!"

The girl responded in a frightened tone. She was mostly a scrawny individual and her jumpsuit gave made her body look much bigger than it would be.

"How come you haven't finished calibratin' the reactors yet?"

The girl tensed up as she held her work tablet close to her face while she squinted over the top, using it as a flimsy shield. Her frail body would be able to withstand any kind of punishment, especially that of a harsh verbal kind.

"HUH!"

Adam seemed to be really laying into her. Their combined body languages made it obvious that this was not the first time he yelled at the crew. Link didn't like how he was treating her and stepped in.

"Hey Adam, leave the girl alone, whatever she did or didn't do its not worth scaring her like this."

Link said rationally as he walked over to the girl and patted her shoulder. At first she jumped, not seeing the massive hand coming towards her, with a scared and shaking hand. She took her goggles over her eyes and placed them on her forehead, her deep green eyes were something to be behold. The emerald green color shimmered in the darkness of the facility. The way her face was constructed didn't show that of an engineer. The grease covered the soft curves of her face that lead up to her chin, but they could still be made out. Link smiled big, letting the girl know she was okay. The girl didn't smile back, all she did was nod quickly and scamper away with her tablet tight on her chest. Link didn't know what to make of what just happened and looked down at General. One eyebrow was lifted higher than the other and his head was tilted in a slight angel, watching what Link just tried to do.

"That was a useless approach."

General said coldly. Link had a sudden urge to kick the condescending dog, but kept it to himself. Gem rubbed Links shoulder, supporting what he had done.

"EXACLTY! I cant foking believe it takes a mutt to understand proper employee-employer educate."

Adam kept ranting over how he treated the crew the way they were supposed to be treated the entire rest of the way to the Engine Control Room. The area of the ship that held the reactor covered the entire rear of the ship and by the time they reached the well lite facility, Link and Gem felt like strangling him.

"Ah! Yes. Here it is. The reactor."

The room was quiet small, not what Link was expecting. White walls made the room entirely different from the rest of the facility and everything had been recently cleaned as well. Link could smell the cleaning products in the air.

The room only had one control panel and one operator. The panel sat directly in front of a glass window that overlooked the actual reactor core room. The reactor was on the opposite side of the room and it was a cylinder in shape. Pipes wrapped around it looking as if they were holding it in place, but they were had a different purpose. The cooling fluids that circulated through the tubes were injected directly from the pipes at the top then exited the reactor at the bottom where the pipes then circled around the base of the reactor and into the units on both sides. Directly behind the reactor were the engines, which looked more up to date that the reactor itself. They were being feed energy from the reactor then used it to propel the ship foreword, but even they seemed to be having some trouble as steam kept spouting out of crevasses. People in the room below worked on the many different parts of the core as the group looked down upon them. From what it looked like, they had it mostly under control.

"This is not exactly the newest version, but it gets the job done."

The newest version was far from what that reactor was. The reactor that sat in the ship was at least six years old and it looked as if it was salvaged from an older ship that had met its demise. The crews down below were still working on fixing the minute problems it kept having like pressure leaks and unstable coolant chambers that didn't want to stay in place.

"I could kill them all."

The man at the control panel said silently. Link thought at first he was just imagining it, but Gem also had the same expression on her face. Link stepped away from the window and turned, the man at the control panel had his head buried deep into the screens. Adam stood just next to him, glancing at what he was doing every few seconds.

"I could kill us all."

The man said slightly louder. That was disturbing Link and he decided to make slow movements from that point on. General did the same as they got closer to the control panel.

"What do you mean?"

"ONE. One slip. One algorithm funk and the reactor will blow like a FIRECRACKER!"

The man said, his eyes darting between screen to screen, typing furiously. His mannerisms showed he had not moved in a while. What was left of his hair made a sweaty ring from one temple to the other with a shinny bald spot in the middle. The glasses he wore were splattered with coffee from at least three days earlier and his eyes ere bloodshot like nothing Link had ever seen before.

"I see you've met Kevin. He's put reactor operator."

"ABABA! Thermonuclear Generator Technician!"

Kevin said as he stuck his finger out at Adam, still not moving his gaze from the screens. Link didn't know what else to say at that point accept the obvious.

"What's your full name?"

"Kevin Geneon Travis the Fifth, I-R-C serial number zero-zero-three-eight-nine dash B dash seven, master of this domain and the dominion of this facility."

Kevin had a lisp that sounded as if he had food caught between his teeth, one of the most irritating things Link had ever heard. Link just nodded politely and singled Adam to come closer. Adam went to him after nodding to Kevin, knowing what to expect. Adam got close to Link to make sure Kevin didn't overhear.

"What the hell is this?"

Link said with strain in his voice. Adam went closer trying to make sure Kevin wouldn't hear.

"Listen, okay. He's the best damn reactor tech we could find. This reactor is so goddamn old that we needed someone with his skills to keep it from FOKING KILLING US ALL!"

Adam was successful at keeping his voice low as he restrained the rage he almost unleashed. It sounded as if he was squeaking instead of actually talking. Link crossed his arms and looked at Kevin, his gaze still attached to the screens.

"I just don't know how to feel about a lunatic in control of the reactor, that's all."

With a jolt Kevin looked up, his eyes on Link.

"I was kidding about that whole algorithm thing. The reactor isn't that sensitive."

Kevin exploded into laughter, his oversized belly jiggled as he leaned backwards. Link didn't really know what to say, so he awkwardly laughed along with him. Gem, who was watching the conversation from the window, raised her eyebrow clueless about what was funny. But as fast as he began laughing, Kevin took a very serious look on his face.

"It takes two slips for a meltdown."

Link stopped laughing. He figured that Kevin would surprise him once more. Link raised an eyebrow and approached him at his terminal. Link just looked at Kevin, his eyes not moving.

"Just tell me you can operate this clunker."

Kevin sat back in his reclining seat, scratching his belly.

"Oh please. I know this system like I know your mother."

Link growled under his breath, sending Kevin a message he obviously didn't get.

"Intimately."

Kevin said slow and disgustingly. Afterwards he licked his lips with his slobbering tongue. Link could barley hold himself back from taking him up by the neck and strangling him. But it wasn't worth it, Link thought as he straightened his back looking down at Kevin with his own blue eyes that glowed red with anger. General also began to feel anger. Although he didn't see eye to eye with Link, no one insults the leader, even more so their mother.

"Just do your fucking job, slob."

Link grunted as he began for the exit.

"Come on, guys. Lets check out the rest of the ship."

The others began to flow Link as he left the room. Trying not to get caught in the anger fumes. Kenny and his partner were running down the small hallway, the dog carrying an engineer by the collar, the engineer was frozen with fear but the two agents were electrified with their find.

"We caught one! YES! That is badass, buddy."

The Bloodhound dribbled his slobber on the engineers' jumpsuit and he just shivered in fear from the massive dog that pried him from his hole. Link and the others had just left the room and the white light flowed into the rest of the dank and gloomy facility. Link just sighed as he worked the engineer from the dogs' mouth. Once free, the engineer sprang for the nearest cove and disappeared.

"Damnit, Link! It took Conrad and me twenty minutes to catch that little bastard. Hmph."

Kenny said as he placed his hands on his sides. After venting for a couple of seconds, he noticed the white room.

"What's in there?"

Link was about to answer as Adam went between the two.

"Nothing! Lets move –"

"Oh! Just to let you know, this is a no bad word zone. I like to keep my dominion clean, thank you very much."

Kevin yelled back at the group. Link clenched his fists, restraining himself.

"You're right, nothing is in there."

Link said subtly. Although Kevin had already gotten off to a bad start with him, Link didn't want there to be any turmoil between them. But just as with General, it wasn't going to come easy.

"Wait, you named your Cerberi Conrad?"

Link asked in a surprised tone, thinking that the name was a little unbecoming.

"Yeah… I had no idea what else to call him so I went with the first name I could think of."

Kenny then looked at Conrad; he was sitting politely next to him waging his tale. Kenny than placed his hand on his chin and thought for a couple of seconds. Then he looked back at Link, shrugging his shoulders.

"What, you think it doesn't fit him or something?"

Link rubbed the bridge of his nose and squinted his eyes shut. It was going to be a long day.

The Living Quarters

"Don't get your bullocks in a twist. Once I get some more bread and honey I'll get a new reactor."

Adam said to finish the argument him and Link were having right before entering a new area of the ship. This area was located directly between the engine room and the hanger and the noises of the clanking reactor could be heard through the walls. The noise was at a considerable level that it was noticeable but still easy to avoid it.

The living quarters were like the barracks of the ODST's back on Reach. The ceiling was at about four meters off the ground giving just enough room for a two level bunk to sit comfortably. The room was extremely long on the other hand, at about one hundred meters. The first thing that Link saw was the amount of bunks that had been placed in the room, which was an astronomical amount. The rows of bunks seemed to stop half way down the room, in which tube like object lined the rest of the walls. Adam took a few steps in front of the group and started to show off the rooms' features.

"This is living block A. Enough to house seven hundred crewmen. Another block is located directly above this one."

Link looked around and noticed hammocks hanging around the bunks. Link raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"What's up with the hammocks?"

Link asked accusingly. Adam just rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat.

"Well. When I was completing the ship the amount of crewmen on the ship was about three hundred, and I figured there would only be about… A good thousand Marines coming aboard…"

Link thought his eyes were going to go raw from rubbing them so much.

"How many Marines have we taken up?"

Adam took a look in the air, calculating the amount.

"Ah… Uh-m… I don't have a good estimate. But I would guess including the Agents, ODST squads, and the second IRC unit we took on, about two thousand five hundred."

Link face scrunched inward. That was a lot of Marines to take on board, especially seeing that there was only one other living quarter above them. That meant that at least a thousand Marines or Agents would need to be sleeping in a hammock.

"This was horribly planned, you know that?"

Adam just chuckled trying to seem as prepared as possible.

"I did what I could."

"AND, you said we took on another unit of the IRC?"

"Ah! Yes. Unit Omicron. I was going to tell ya earlier. They were, from what mama Halsey said, the second best unit."

"Hm."

Gem said as she saw the Marines and Agents settling into their bunks.

"Wait, why did she pair us up with another unit?"

Link asked.

"Well, she said after losing half your unit, the unit was underpowered. So, to bolster up the strength, she attached Omicron to the unit."

"Okay."

Link said, he was fine with his unit gaining some much-needed strength.

"How many were in Omicron?"

"About a hundred. They said they would follow your command."

Link nodded, feeling pretty good about having another unit coming along. Adam then directed them to continue the tour.

"Anyway, the living quarters are equipped with two fully operational armories, a med bay, and a mess hall."

Adam said as the team eventually got to the other end of the rows of bunks. What sat on the other side of the bunks, the cylinder like tubes, was even more rows of cryo-chambers. About seven hundred filled the two walls and they were all ready to use. They were positioned so that one line of cryo-chambers sat against the wall, then another row was sitting right in front of it facing the same direction. The same process was on the other wall. That utilized the small space to its fullest.

"Okay, at least you didn't skimp out on the cryo-tanks."

Link said sarcastically. Then behind Link, he could hear some one calling his name.

"Lincoln?"

The voice sounded familiar. A voice he had heard many times over the comms as an ODST. The voice of an older man, one that was that of a parent, and one of an old friend. Could it be? Could it really be them, Link thought.

"Captain?"

Link pivoted on his heal to see his old team. Jack, Collins, Jenkins, and the Captain. It hadn't been that long since he said goodbye, but it was different seeing them with his new eyes. They were all walking up to the group, unsure they were going to find Link in the crowd. Link stepped towards them, the reaction they first had was of shock, unlike them, Link had totally changed.

"Hey kid."

The Captain said with his usually manner. It took him a couple of seconds to recognize Link, the height, the armor. But the way he carried himself stayed the same.

"Captain."

Link said casually. Trying not to lunge at him and kill him with a killer hug. But when he stuck out his hand, there was no real point in shaking his hand, Link thought. Instead he went for the real deal and gave his former Captain a hug. Link didn't really know what to expect, but the fact that the Captain hugged him back made him happy.

"Germaine?"

Jenkins said as he saw Gem standing next to Link. At first, her mind went blank. Her brother who she had not seen for years was standing in front of her. With a jolt of energy, she went to him. Her eyes filled with tears and in a moment, she had her family back.

Jenkins gave his sister a hug, her hands engulfed him and he didn't bother thinking about how she changed. It was just amazing they were together again.

"Jenkie! I missed you so much!"

Gem managed to say through her bellowing.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Jenkins said quietly. That worried Gem and she quickly let go of her brother, who now was dwarfed by her height.

"What's wrong?"

Gem asked, worried by the change.

"Nothing."

Link finished his hug with the Captain with a pat on his shoulder. With a big smile, Link greeted Jack and Collins the same, it was great to see them. Then he gave a look at Jenkins; he was holding his right arm behind his back while talking to Germaine. He was hiding something. Link then approached him, giving him a small smile.

"Good to see you bud."

Link said quietly.

"I'm good."

Link smiled big now. It was nice to see his attitude had died down.

"What happened? You have changed a little bit, not the same Jenkins I remember."

Link said jokingly. But then it got quiet. The team looked down at their feet, not saying a word.

"What?"

Link said to the team, but then changed his view to Jenkins. He sighed slowly and took his arm from behind him. What he lifted up to show was a metallic shell of an arm. What was supposed to be a normal arm was replaced by a synthetic one. Gem gasped, taken back by the sight. The arm was shaped like a normal arm, five fingers, rotating elbow, the works. But the fact that he lost his arm was disturbing.

"Oh my god."

Link said with his mouth covered by his hand. General just looked at the arm from his position on the floor, gazing at the device.

"That is unfortunate."

General said in his usual to the point tone. Jenkins rubbed his attachment with his other hand, ashamed.

"It happened when we went on a mission."

Jenkins said trying not to make much of a scene.

"Yeah. The mission was to disable a anti aircraft battery on New Jerusalem."

Collins said as he recalled the mission. That got Links attention.

"Wait, you were on New Jerusalem during the campaign?"

The Captain nodded then shrugged.

"It was supposed to be a simple unplug OP. But it was completely FUBAR when we hit the ground."

The Captain said as he showed bandages on his arm from the mission.

"We're lucky we got out in time."

Jack said in his deep tone. Gem didn't know what to do, so she turned and walked away still holding her mouth. Jenkins reached out right before she walked away, holding out his synthetic attachment. Jenkins then just put his arm down and covered his face with his real hand. The Captain then rubbed his back, trying to make him feel better.

"She'll come around. It's just going to take some time for her to get used to it. Go get some rest."

The Captain then gave Jenkins a little shove to his bunk. Jenkins didn't refuse and made his way back.

"Its still good to see you."

Link said to Jenkins before he got out of ear shot range.

"Thanks, its good to see you too."

Jenkins said under his breath, his voice was constant and cold. He had changed a lot. Link didn't know what to think, but it was even more reason to find Hendrix.

The meeting had become stagnant, cold. So Link wanted to ask some much needed questions.

"So. What brought you here?"

The Captain waved Jack and Collins to go back to their bunks. They nodded and headed back to their bunks after giving Link a nod of acknowledgement.

"I saw that mission as a sign. That sign told me that we had two options. One, join the IRC that my squad had been chosen for, or two, get involved in more political bullshit and die for it. I did what was best for my team. I got us the hell out of there."

Link sighed and chuckled a little.

"You made a good choice."

Link said in an excited manner.

"Yeah, and now we are stationed this… Thing."

The Captain raised his arms and looked around the crowded room.

"Its better than being thrown to your death for nothing, that's for sure."

The Captain said with a breath of relief.

"It is."

Link smiled at him.

"Just don't kill us. Okay?"

The Captain said in a joking tone, but his face showed he meant it.

"I wont."

Link said as he stuck out his hand for a handshake. The Captain grabbed his hand, putting his trust into Link completely.

"Once we get moving, we need to catch up."

"For sure."

Link said as he let go of the Captains hand. With a wink, the Captain turned and walked away, back to his team. Adam poked his head around Links shoulder and grunted seeing that the conversation was over.

"Welp, that was interesting."

"Yeah."

Link said happily under his breath as he turned to Adam. Adam was tapping his shoe on the floor, annoyed at having to wait. Link glanced down at Adams foot and shrugged in a questioning manner.

"What?"

"We have one more stop to see before the Bridge. All ya can stay behind and set up your new digs. Oh, and it's not assigned so first come first serve!"

Adam announced as he threw his arms at the bunks. The Agents all looked at each other, everyone wanted a bunk and now a fight to the death to get one. The group dispersed, pushing and showing to get a good spot. Kenny was one of the first to grab a bunk, celebrating his minute victory with Conrad.

"Come, Commander."

Adam said to Link, insisting Link to follow him.

"Where we going now?"

Link asked as the two entered a service elevator on the far end of the room. The doors began to shut and Adam swiped his hand on the elevator terminal, staring it up.

"We're headed to the main event."

The Main Armament

"Welcome, to the room o' champions!"

Adam announced into the small room. Link and General stepped out of the elevator and into the room. The only light that filled the room was from the primary observation window at the front that was squeezed between the vertically stacked MAC weapons. One man at the front of the room stood, hearing the voice of Adam and came walking up to the three onlookers.

"Ohhohoho! Look who decided to show their fat face!"

The man said as he gave Adam a manly one-armed hug.

"Fok you! Ya foking arsehole! Its great to see ya as always!"

Link and General waited until the two were done getting reacquainted before approaching.

"This must be the Commander!"

The man who they approached was average height, five foot seven but muscular. His facial structure was broad, like that of a Spartan with dark hazel eyes that peered through the light. His accent seemed to be reminiscent of old New York City on Earth. His dark brown skin stood out from the light that flowed into the room.

"I'm Staff Sargent Tim Philips. Good to meet you Commander."

Tim stuck out his hand and Link shook it, pleased that he wasn't going to be like Kevin.

"Likewise."

Link said as he took a look around the room. Lights lined the ceiling but they weren't turned on. The room was lined with tech, empty chairs sitting in front of each terminal.

"What is this room, Phillips?"

Tim walked over to the main terminal and sat down. Tim's hand swiped over the controls and like city restored with power, the room lite up. Each monitor began to hum and blink, awaiting commands.

"Come here."

Phillips said as he began computing codes into the command terminal. When Link reached the terminal, he realized what the room was. A target illuminated itself in the center of the glass and then status screens appeared, showing the power level of the MAC's, the ammunition amount, and the current heat level. There were many other minute screens that were flashing on the glass, but none that made sense to Link.

"So, you're the MAC operator."

Link said as he looked out the window to see the massive MAC barrels adjusting themselves according to the codes Tim was typing.

"Yup! Best. Job. Ever. I work one of the strongest weapons man has ever made. The cool thing is that the noise these beasts make is muffled in the loading room, I don't hear a thing!"

Tim said with joy in his voice. Link took a look around the room; the other seats were vacant.

"Wait, you can operate the MAC's all by yourself? I thought it took a team?"

Link said confused. Tim just looked u at Link with a cocked eyebrow and General shook his head.

"Obviously, Master Henderson, the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon operating team has not yet arrived."

General said cuttingly. Link looked down at General who had a satisfied look on his face.

"Thank you."

Link said in a pissed off tone. Link then turned back to Tim who was staring at General with a look of terror.

"Am I just imagining things, or did that dog just talk?"

Link laughed in his mind, Tim must have been having a miniature heart attack.

"It's a long story, but yes."

Adam said as he rubbed General's head. General didn't really know what Adam was doing, since his armor was covering his head.

"Well. That's new."

Tim said as he looked back at Link.

"So I gotta get back to this coding, if you need anything, don't be shy."

Time smiled at Link and shook Links hand one more time.

"Alright. Good to have you aboard."

Link said as he walked away with Adam and General. The terminals still enticed Link and it was hard to leave.

"We ship out in five minutes buddy!"

Adam yelled to Tim across the room, making sure he knew what was happening.

"Got it!"

Tim yelled back. Adam smiled as he hailed the elevator. The elevator door slid open and the rest of the MAC crew came walking out, saluting Link and Adam as they passed.

"Good timing fellas! Our commander here thought Tim was the only operator."

The crewmen chuckled a little, trying to laugh at their superior officer. Link just ignored Adam, which was getting easier with time. The crew left the elevator and the three stepped in, and the door slid shut.

"Okay, what's next?"

Adam smiled and pressed the top floor.

"Your speech."

The Bridge

The elevator stopped on the command floor, the top floor. On that level was an array of information and support type systems. Each room had a specific purpose, for example, the two rooms next to then bridge were filled with sensor equipment that was used to locate or track enemies on or off a planet. Then there were rooms that had more basic functions, damage control, life support controls, and what not. But the Bridge was where all the commands came from, where all the decisions were made.

Link, General and Adam all walked into the Bridge where a welcoming of saluting high-ranking staff came to greet them. Link was beginning to like the idea of being a Commander, still unsteady but liking the idea.

The Bridge was shaped like an oval. The main entrance way was at one end of the oval, where a wall that forced the entering crew to go left or right blocked it. When the wall was passed, there was briefing table directly in the center of a sunken floor. Chairs surrounded the square hologram projector and many crewmen were chatting beside it. On the walls of the bridge were twenty terminals for Comms officials, those stations were mostly for sending orders to ground units from the safety of the bridge. Directly after the hologram table was the Captain and Commander station. The station was comprised mostly of a data screen, ten feet long and ten feet tall. One man stood just in front of the screen, his arms crossed behind his back. The man was dressed in the IRC's official's fatigues, which were dark green and dark blue. The style was about the same as the UNSC's officials including the peaked cap, except the IRC emblem was on the back.

The man then slowly turned, his face showed many years of war in the grains of his face. Scars covered his face and some went under his dark gray beard that fluffed all the way around his chin to both ears. He was about six foot and his stature was straight as a needle. His light complexion showed he was all about command now instead of being on the field.

"Commander. Pleasure to meet you."

The man did not stick out his hand for a handshake, but Link was all right. From the first word the man said, Link noticed his intense German accent.

"I am Zelig von Eisenhauer. The Captain of this vessel."

Link nodded then figured it was worth a shot to shake his hand. So with vigor, Link stuck his hand out hoping Zelig would accept the act of allegiance. Zelig glanced down at Links hand and gripped it tightly. Although Link was much larger than him, his grip was so tight Link cringed in pain. Zelig didn't move the shake, but instead kept it still and sent Link a visual message, one that could be interpreted through his eyes.

"It will be a pleasure, working with you."

Zelig let go of Links hand and squinted at Link. His voice was so deep that Link almost had a hard time hearing him. The tension rose as Zelig began to walk closer.

"Commander."

Nudging past Links shoulder, Zelig walked out of the Bridge. General glanced up at Link and sniffed the air. Link took off his helmet and rubbed his temples vigorously. Then Link looked down at General who looked pleased with himself.

"What?"

Link asked accusingly.

"He doesn't like you."

General said in his uncaring tone. Link let his arms drop to his sides and his head slumped.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

It was defiantly going to take some time to get the allegiance of the ship, Link though. Adam stood next to Link where he patted him on the shoulder. Link hadn't noticed but the main observatory overlooked the entire tarmac. The clouds had just rolled away to show the sunlight that shined down upon the blackened spaceport. Adam then pressed the Comm's device on the screen and whispered into Links ear.

"Time to shine."

Adam said. Link sighed, as he hadn't thought about what to say. But he knew if he just let it flow, let it come out truthfully, he would say the right thing.

"Crew. This is your Commander… Lincoln Henderson."

Link realized he paused and now felt like the eyes of the ship were upon him. General was shaking his head at the floor, watching his master fail on the speech so far. Adam was making circles with his hands to Link, insisting he continue.

"I've never done this so humor me. We have been given a massive opportunity. One that not all of our could join us."

Link paused to think about what he would say next. The ship was still, listening to the speakers. Kenny and Conrad sat on their shared bunk; Kenny smirked listening to Link while Conrad began to doze off.

"The way we repay them is to stop the war, end it."

Gem who had hid her self in the armory, trying to have some space, looked up from her crying state. With a sniff she saw Joana, her partner, sitting next to her. Joana whimpered along with Gems crying. The floor was cold and unforgiving but that didn't stop Joana from lying next to her master. Gem sighed and rested her arm on top of Joana's back.

"We will be what the colonies need us to be. We will be what the Insurrectionists' fear most. They will dread the day they killed our family."

Adam perked up; his ears caught onto what Link said like a fly on sticky paper. It reminded him of a long lost love, one that had been removed from his life. The cracking of his knuckles cracked in the room, which General heard easily. Adam found it hard to restrain himself as the image of revenge swirled through his mind, and it was going to happen soon.

"On this ship, we will change the face of human history forever. We must work together to ruin the Insurrectionists. But even if we don't succeed at killing it completely, we will know that we at least hit them hard!"

Link began to raise his voice, feeling a rush of adrenaline making his mind clearer. The ODST's had finally stopped rummaging through their supplies to listen. Collins crossed his arms and leaned on his bunk, enjoying the talk while Jack chuckled deeply to himself.

"The kid has changed a lot. Hasn't he."

Jack said to the Captain, who was sitting on his bunk. What went through his mind was how Link was not the same eighteen-year-old recruit anymore. Link was now in charge and doing it well.

Jenkins was lying in his bunk, facing the wall. The stare he gave it was blank, showing absolutely no emotion. Like a black hole, his eyes drew in all of the light around it, but they themselves gained no light.

"From what I have seen, this ship will devastate anything put in its path."

Tim let out a chuckle as he too, looked up to the speakers. It seemed as though everyone, except Kevin, was listening.

"Now, we have our mission. It is time we made things right."

Link smiled as he went to the Comms device.

"Commander Henderson, out."

With a solid press, Link turned off the speakers. Link stood, looking at the massive screen, mindless. The feeling he had gotten was more than he had imagined. He then turned to General who was wearing a face Link had never seen before. General's mouth was ajar, eyes wide and ears up. Link laughed in his mind seeing what he could guess was Generals impressed face. General quickly caught his slip in mental judgment and darted his head away.

"Decent."

General grunted as he got up and turned his back completely to Link. Even Generals attitude could bring Link down and he went over to his partner, rubbing his ears back and forth. The gesture made General sink his head down into his shoulders.

"Thanks bud."

Link said in a low voice, and with a grin he began to plan their adventure together.

END

A/N: Sorry about this chapter coming out late. My dog had another seizure/stroke yesterday. So I was literally about where Link was ending his speech when my dog decided to do a back flip off the couch. -_- Way to go, pug. But he is perfect now. Like it never even happened. I have come to the conclusion that it's going to happen a lot more. Which brings me to my next point. If I don't come out with a chapter directly on Sunday, that doesn't mean I wont write one. It just means I have stuff that is complicating it. :P but im thinking about taking next week off from writing. I have been pretty glued to my laptop as of late and im looking quiet pale. But I will let y'all know what I plan on doing. So if u don't remember, COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE! That's it for this week; see ya later, my little bear cubs! x3

Casey (Bearmaster)


	22. Chapter 10: The Path to Discovery

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, ETC.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 10

The Path of Discovery

Time: 2523 February 15, 1429

Location: Slipspace

"We're not naming the ship Titanium-Bucket, Kenny."

Link said sternly as the command terminal brought up a new screen. The ship was traveling through the realm of Slipspace, a void and purplish nebula that hugged the shell of the squealing craft. Link was used to Slipspace and knew of its consequences. The Slipspace core was old as well, and needed much attention as the ship barreled through the nothing. Kenny and Conrad stood somewhat behind Link and General watching their movements and gazed out to the outside spectacle through the front monitoring window.

"It makes sense! This thing is a pile of crap! Did you see the reactor?"

Kenny said trying to get Link to see his point.

"Yes, and I don't like it."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the thing decided to overload when we were in Slipspace. Then BLAM! We would just pieces of burnt carcasses floating faster than the speed of light."

"Lets not get the crew rustled up about it, but yeah. Once Adam gets his thumb out of his ass maybe he'll buy a new one."

"Pfffft. Like that will happen."

Link glanced at Kenny, he was leaning against one of the more fragile terminals and it looked as it could barely hold his weight.

"What you mean? And get off that, you're going to break it."

Kenny shoved himself off the terminal and leaned back on the wall that was behind him instead.

"What I mean is that Adam is a businessmen. All he cares about is cutting corners and getting the most out of his _investment_."

"Yeah, who knows."

Link said as he was stumped on a trajectory calculation. Although he had been Commanding officer for no more than a day, he understood the mechanics of the ship quiet well. The piloting system was a lot like the reapers back on Harvest; just put in the quadrants and the ship practically flies itself. The main command crew was still active nonetheless, keeping the ship from drifting off course and landing in the center of a superheated star.

"I don't understand why you're taking him with us. I mean, going back to New Jerusalem to find a shipping manifest is one thing, but taking on some adventurer cause he wants to be a hero is beyond my comprehension."

"Okay, first of all, we're going back to New Jerusalem to find a shipping manifest because Paul told me three weeks before the invasion Jerome hopped shop. The manifest should tell us where he was going, what kind of ship he was in, and how much fire power he was packing."

Kenny nodded his head as Link reentered the calculation, it popped up as correct and Link grinned at the screen. With most of his work done, Link turned to Kenny.

"If I'm not mistaken, all ships that had landed on New Jerusalem went through the… Mount Haven Spaceport."

Link said after looking back at his mission schematics.

"Why would you think that Jerome Hendrix, an Insurrectionist big shot, went through customs? He would stick out like a soar thumb!"

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea how though. First, we need those manifests. If I'm correct, some of our own were doing something illegal there."

"What… What do you mean?"

"Don't you think it's a little strange that the UNSC seemed to be fucking up every chance they got? Is it a coincidence that the Generals themselves brought down specific orders, when the Coronel was doing a fine job as is? Even the Major General, Torrent, came down to Rafter and beat the shit out of him. Now, a man who just successfully destroyed an Insurrectionist drug running facility would get a commendation, not a punch to the jaw."

"Wait, you saw what happened to Rafter?"

Link shifted uncomfortably, remembering the beat down Rafter took.

"Yeah, he was trashed pretty good. Then Torrent took over and everything went to hell. We had to watch our own backs and it was almost like they gave orders to hinder our progress."

"I'm getting what your saying, but I don't quiet understand."

"Idiot. Master Henderson is connecting the Insurrectionist Command to the UNSC's Generals in some sort of scandal; which, I have to say, is quiet cunning master. I give that to you."

General nodded his head at Link and it made Link smile.

"Thanks buddy."

"Don't call me buddy."

"Fair enough."

Link said, retracing the conversation from before, while General rearranged himself on the cold floor.

"Do you understand now?"

"Kind of. But what were they doing? Smuggling drugs, munitions, what?"

"Could be both. Maybe more. From what we saw on New Jerusalem, they were trying to make some sort of narcotics manufacturing plant. In order to fully understand the situation, we need that manifest. If it says they were granted access, then there was foul play and we can bring the culprits to justice. Then we track Jerome down like the coward he is and squash him."

"Holy shit that gave me chills! That would be one of the biggest military scandals in history!"

Kenny said as he shivered slightly.  
"Yeah I know, anyone who was involved will be brought down and brought to justice. That includes Torrent, maybe Watson, and as many others there are. But as for Adam, I didn't want him on the ship but he wants to come along. Since he was one of the prime donators, we had to take his opinion into consideration."

"Urgh."

Kenny sighed as he plopped to the floor next to Conrad who had fallen asleep.

"What do you think of an old fart like McAllen disruptin' our shit all the time, boy?"

Kenny asked Conrad as he flopped his droopy ears up and down. Conrad woke and licked his sagging lips.

"I don't mind."

Conrad mumbled. This was the first time Link had heard Conrad speak. His voice was like his facial folds, deep and hard to comprehend. The gurgle he had in his voice was caused by the over saliva-producing glands. Link was puzzled how Halsey ignored the obvious distraction on Conrad's face. When Conrad would walk, it was as if his face shifted up and down.

"And who knows! Maybe when we go out into battle, Adam may have some skills. The guy did make the Cyclops after all, he probably has a lot of skills with mechanics."

Link said, thinking only of the positives.

"Where is the little red monster anyway? I thought he was the Second in Command?"

"He is. Apparently he wanted to be in the Garage. He has a _mech_ he's been working on that he wants to be ready for field use."

"Ready for what? The Cyclops units are only good for construction and they can't hold their load in a fire fight, they fuckin' overheat!"

"Again, who knows? We may be surprised."

"Sir, the Core is acting strangely. We may have to drop out of subspace to avert the issue."

One of the commanding crew came walking up to Link, his manner of approach was direct and to the point.

"Okay, set us down somewhere where we can park her for a while. Where are we now?"

"We're just about in earshot range of Sigma Octanus Four. No available spaceport, but there is an orbital repair station. We can dock there and let the reactor cool."

Link then turned to his screen, curious of the reactors condition.

"Really? Seventy six percent critical heat level? What the fuck."

"Titanium-Bucket."

Kenny said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to look as innocent as possible. Link just placed his hands on his forehead and rubbed as hard as he could for a furious three seconds. With a grunt, Link brought himself back to the screen.

"With everything good about this ship, why couldn't the reactor be better?"

"I have a better idea, remember how much credits we got from our first mission?"

"Yeah, are you going to say that we replace the reactor ourselves?"

Kenny nodded.

"Ugh. Do you know how much reactors cost?"

Kenny looked at the floor and rubbed the back of his helmet.

"I'm guessing somewhere around a few million credits?"

"Three billion credits."

Link said abruptly. The shock that Kenny wore on his face made Link laugh a little. The groves on Kenny's forehead rose to up to his hairline and his eyes bulged.

"Wha?"

"A reactor is a machine to power a ship through space. It slams two atoms together and creates a reaction similar to a star. YEAH. They're expensive. It would take years to get a new one and we don't have much time."

"What ya mean we don't have much time?"

Adam came trotting into the command deck decorated with splatters of engine fluid on his dark red jumpsuit. His red hair stuck out to the right and frizzed from static.

"Hey. How's your mech?"

Link asked politely. Adam didn't say anything for a couple of seconds his eyes shifting from corner to corner, expecting something.

"I didn't hear any foking cammandar on deck!"

Adam said glairing to Kenny. The two possibly three feet Kenny had on Adam made a considerable attitude difference as Kenny didn't budge at Adams request. Link sighed and stood up straight.

"Commander on deck."

Link mumbled. The crew jumped to order, some shifted their seats from their positions behind their terminals to stand and some banged their knee's in the process. They stood for a few seconds as Adam took it in.

"That's much betta."

The crew relaxed and went back to their stations. Kenny kneeled down and poked Conrad's ear until the prodding woke him up. A slow and drowsy yawn crept out of his mouth, still somewhat asleep.

"Lets go, boy. We'll be in the mess hall if you need us. Sir."

Kenny said as Conrad brought himself to his feet. Kenny's hand swung to his forehead, saluting Link. It made Link uncomfortable, but he gave him a gentle nod back. Kenny turned to Adam and no salute was given, just an imperious chuckle. The sound of Kenny and Conrad's footsteps clanked away out of the room.

"Insubordinate prick! He'll learn his place after not eating for a week."

Link glared at Adam and looked at General and his face contorted into something of a smile. Adam shrugged.

"What? Fuking prick needs to be taught a lesson. Hunger brings the best out of a man. Anyone really."

"You don't have the authority to do that."

Link's firm voice echoed in the command room.

"Yeah I do. And I intend to use it."

"No. You don't understand, Adam."

The anger in Links voice began to rise. The tremble in his voice made Adam alert to the seriousness of the situation.

"What don't I understand here, Commander?"

"This is my ship. MY men. You may have provided the credits, but I make the laws on this ship and you will take my orders. Do you understand?"

The sternness of Link's voice brought Generals attention back to his master. General couldn't believe it, but his respect for Link began to rise. Adam didn't respond as the Captain came on the deck. Zelig walked with his hands behind his back, which was straight as a board. It was a relief for Link cause he ha been in command for almost a full day with no sleep or food.

"Captain."

Link and General greeted Zelig as he shoved Link to the side and took the helm. Zelig glanced at Link and jerked his shoulder, insisting that Link leave. Link was on the breaking point, but he kept it under control.

"Just get the ship out of subspace and get her docked to the orbital repair station. It wont be that hard."

The contemptuous tone in Links voice was thick as he left Adam and Zelig to command the vessel. Adam stood, his hands in his jumpsuit pockets fondling the lint that clung to the seams. How could he be wrong, he thought. The only way to command a ship is to keep his crew afraid of the leadership, that's how he ran his company. But was it different now that he was fighting a war instead of running a company? A deep breath was drawn from his lower belly and he let it out as the piston grease that matted down his hair ran down his face.

"Zelig, ya have the bridge. I'm gonna get some winks."

Thirty minutes later

Link sat in his private quarters. Unlike the rest of the crew, he, Adam, Zelig and a small portion of the crew got their own rooms. Each room was what to be expected of an officials state, a six by six room with a low ceiling. Links was located where he felt most comfortable, adjacent to the barracks. There was a bed that sat against the back wall; a dresser where there were outfits placed there in predestined spots, and for superior comfort there was a private shower. Although Link didn't like the extra attention, when an opportunity of a private shower appeared he took it. For other necessities, General had his own cushiony pillow that was snug at the foot of Links bed. A solid steal desk sat in front of the wall closest to the door; it had three drawers on the left side and one on the right. The revolver Link had been carrying had become less lustering as it sat on the desk, the spotlight like lamp shinning down on it. What filled the last open wall was a holding station for Link and Generals armor and customized weapons, which kept them in a nice secure locked bulletproof glass case.

Link hadn't had time for himself for the past day in a half. Sleep was the only thing on his mind. His head drooped as the only thing keeping his head from hitting the floor was his hands that caressed his chin, elbows on his knees. General was rolled into a ball sleeping on his cushy pillow, paying little attention to Link. General's soft fur, now unrestricted by his undersuit, fluffed from every breath.

Time ticked away, yet it never moved. Link thought about how in only the day and a half he was in command and nothing had been done. No crises' had been averted, no people were saved, and things were stagnant. It would be a long time before they were to fulfill any plan, no matter how well engineered. The fact that the ship was in such a condition as it was slowed their progress and fixing that problem would be crucial to their progress.

Link lifted his legs and swung them to the wall, rearranging himself on the bed so he could sleep. The lids of his eyes drifted to a close, the sound of Generals shallow snoring was almost tranquil to Link. In little time Link had fallen asleep. But right as he did so Gem rounded the threshold. The redness in her eyes indicated she had been crying for some time and the dried tears on her shirt collar showed the same. The attire on the ship was comfortable, different than the UNSC, but comfortable. A dark emerald green tight shirt and somewhat baggy blue cargo pants was the default outfit she flaunted. Link wore similar fatigues, but he wore an officer's _sports coat_ along with the same pants. Usually on a battle ready ship crew and staff would need to be in their armor at all times, but this was a different ship and Link didn't care about attire as long as the crew was ready to fight.

Gem walked into Links room, her footsteps landed on the floor with ease yet it woke General from his slumber. General lifted his head and was dizzy from his sleepiness. Gem waved at him and smiled at him happily. General nodded back at her, acknowledging her then laid his head back on the soft pillow.

The long flowing hair that Gem had got in the way of her face as she sat down on Links bed. The contact of her body hitting the bed did woke Link although it was not much of a movement.

"Hmmmargh."

Link groaned in protest, he just wanted to sleep.

"Hey."

Gem said in Links ear, her breath on his skin made him more alert.

"Hmmgrah! Hey, you."

"Hmhmhm, its good to see your keeping yourself healthy."

"Heh, yeah. I don't think being up there for thirty six hours is healthy."

Gem giggled and Link rolled on his side, opening his eyes to see the beautiful women beside him.

"Hows it been? Adam giving you any trouble?"

Link yawned, trying to stall his exhaustion.

"Trouble? Adam? Please, Adam is nothing BUT trouble. The minute he walked in he threatened Ken."

"Really?"

"Yep, he's a real genuine dick."

Once Link spoke, the ship jumped a few times before the reactor slowed to a halt.

"We must be exiting the slipstream."

"Why are we stopping?"

Gem asked as she held Links hand to level herself.

"Yeah, the reactor was overheating so we're stopping over Sigma Octanus Four for some repairs. Shouldn't take us longer than a day."

"Okay, sounds good. OH! The others and I were wondering something, did you name the ship yet?"

The question made Link sigh.

"Not yet, but Kenny was giving me some ideas."

"Like what?"

"Heh, he wants to call it the Titanium-Bucket. Its pretty accurate."

The two laughed at the idea, but Link was in a bind. For the life of him, he couldn't think of a suitable name for their vessel. A name that was funny or immature wouldn't suit it and a name that was corny or unoriginal was just as bad. In order for his ship, his crew, to get the right honor and respect like the other warships; a name that meant something was the only option.

"Well, what ever name you choose, it will be a good one. Just think about it for a while. It'll come to you."

"Yeah."

Link's voice grinded in the heavy saliva in his throat. He was tired, but he tried desperately to think of the perfect name. The hair on Gems forehead caught his eye; the brilliant blond strands fell in front of her eyes as if a golden waterfall washed over her face. Link gripped the strands and slid them behind her left ear and his touch comforted her. Gem's hand glided up to his, she held it tight against her cheek.

"That's it."

Link said quietly. Gem tilted her head slightly; Links hand still on her cheek.

"What's it?"

Link sat up in the bed, his heart pumped faster knowing he had just created the name of the ship.

"The IRC Cascade. Perfect."

END

A/N: CHAPTER TEN! Finally. Reached that threshold in somewhat one piece. Well, it's been yet another crazy week. My dad had a heart attack and its just another day in the Casey house. -_- oh well. He's fine it's just kinda annoying. It was none lethal but it was a really bad scare. Anyway, I found it a little harder to write this chapter for unknown reasons but I got it out anyway. Originally, the name I was going to give the ship was the IRC Reckoning, but it sounded a little stupid, to be honest. :P so I got to thinking of different ship names, and I made a list of 30. Here are my favorites: The Titan, The Basilisk, Unholy Warrior, Steel Resolve, Ol' Fateful, No Restraint, Condensed Rage, Breath of Fury, Radical Measures, and my personal favorite, The Pale Horse. Most of those names though I had a hard time imagining the ship having. I imagined a clip from a movie where people are in a massive battle and the main ship is under attack, another ship cries out for help, and they call for the … Pale Horse? That gives the wrong idea. So I went with the cascade. I just like it. ^u^ But anywho. Let me know what y'all think by writing a nice long _**COMMENT**_ and make sure to _**SUBSCRIBE**_ for more awesome. :D See ya next Sunday peeps and Bear cubs!

Casey (Bearmaster)


	23. Chapter 11: The Movement of Time

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, ETC.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 11

The Movement of Time

Time: 2523 March 20 (Human)

Location: Unknown

"Ship Mistress?"

A small, stubbly Unggoy came waddling into a large open arena like room. This particular Unggoy was different from the rest, not as frantic or spastic. The wrinkles on his face were deeper and much more concave. Its fingers were boney and ached of age. The room was circular in shape, about fifty feet in diameter. Occupying most of the space was tapered off circles where two Sangheili would face each other. They fought as if fighting enemies, it was a form of training, sparing. They grunted as their opponent clashed against the armor, the sounds of battle filled the hall.

"Mistress?"

The Unggoy waddled through the Gymnasium still, until he heard the voice of her.

"Again!"

At the back of the arena was a much larger battle stage where Kirra and three male Sangheili stood. The size comparison staggered as the three males stood at almost two and a half heads taller than her. Their muscular structure was massive, bulging while she was slender and ridged. The males seemed to be waiting, tense, while she stood with her arms crossed. She could be very intimidating. In an instant the three pounced, one from straight on and the other two from the sides.

The Unggoy didn't mind watching the fight, it actually was interesting to watch the power struggle manifest into a battle. As the battle begun, the Unggoy sat on the ground, and leaned back on his pack. A few extra moments to watch a fight wouldn't hurt. At first, Kirra didn't move, she waited for the males to get closer.

"You're mine!"

The male in front roared as his fist came barreling down to deliver a crushing blow to Kirra's face. But as she felt the space between her head and his hand become so small, she shifted, throwing her body to the right. It looked as if she pushed herself over, but her right hand gripped the hard floor and she rebounded the male with a decisive kick to the gut. Her legs retraced and she sprang away from the male who fell on the floor, moaning in pain.

The other two males engaged Kirra simultaneously, thrashing like animals to get one hit in. But even as they threw their fists at her, Kirra dodged and evaded their legs as they tried to land a blow to her side. One elbow grazed her left side of her breast plate, but it was only luck that it connected.

She waited for an opening and struck. The Minor, who had been the most uncontrollable, was given a strike to his throat from the back of Kirra's ankle. The Minor drifted back as he held his crushed throat, gaping for air. The second and last male was of higher rank, Major, but his combat skills lacked. Kirra noticed it and needed to correct it through swift teaching. With an elbow thrust, she snapped the young Majors forearm away as he threw it at her flank. As his arm moved and opened his chest, she threw her knee deep into his chest plate. The hard bone and metal of her knee bypassed the underarm of the Major, sending a strike deep into the ribcage. Like that, the sparring was over.

"Hmhmhm. Well done Kirra."

The Unggoy stood, his arms still crossed. Kirra was breathing normally, she didn't break a sweat. After helping the Major off the ground and set him up to help the other two who had been smacked around, she got off the ring and greeted the Unggoy with joy.

"Wap! It's a pleasure to see you, old friend!"

"Likewise, Kirra."

Kirra knelt down, smiling as big as she could.

"How has your campaign against the Heretics gone since you became Ship Mistress? It must be more than you thought."

"Not exactly. It is silent as of late. Heretics don't move unless they see something they want. What about you? It has to be difficult being the first Unggoy Councilor."

Wap grunted to himself. The tones of his voice were much different that the ones of his kin. As he was close to the end of his life, age had taken a toll on his voice. Shaping it to a deeper tone, more masculine. His vocabulary was defined as well; unlike the fodder on the front lines, Wap used the appropriate grammar and pronunciation that of an educated San 'Shyuum.

"My voice is dulled in the Council. The Jiralhanae speak to loud and the Kig-Yar are too aggressive. But it keeps my species from revolting. That's what they all want, isn't it?"

"Most likely."

"Why do you ask? I know you don't care for the Unggoy, why bother with asking about my kin?"

Kirra and Wap exited the Gymnasium, Kirra just finished putting her helm back on as the gold chains on the back jingled.

"You are a close friend, Wap. You saved me in battle and you have shown your worth. That's why. The other Unggoy that fill the bowl's of my ship are a nuisance, a pestilence. My Zealot Commander finds it hard to control his troops from time to time."

"I find that to be naïve of you, Kirra. You of all Sangheili should know that we Unggoy are dangerous and smarter than the Covenant give credit for. We rose up once before but knew it would be our downfall; going against the forces of the Covenant would be our extermination. So we will now and forever remain a sleeping cancer within the brain of this union."

Kirra said nothing as she tried not to listen to Wap's true argument. During the Unggoy Rebellions, an Arbiter was unleashed upon the Unggoy to quell them, but he was claimed by the Unggoy in battle, showing how strong they actually are in numbers.

"You're very dark, my friend."

Kirra said under her breath.

"Its true. I tend to be more of a shadow-dweller. By the gods, I almost forgot. The Prophets wanted to speak to you about a task they wish to be completed."

"I was expecting something eventually. Does it have to do with the reconnaissance we had done recently?"

"Somewhat. The Prophets want your ship and a few others to investigate and are of the Void. They say that some teams have seen some unusual vessels, some look like Forerunner design."

Kirra looked at Wap and thought about the mission. In her entire career while in the Covenant, Kirra had never heard of Forerunner ships that remained operational. Most that they would find would be relics on planets' surfaces.

"When do they wish to see me?"

"They want you and your Zealot Commander to meet them in the Mausoleum on High Charity tomorrow. A place where you can discuss the task in private. I'm not sure as who else will be joining you, but I think the Hemigoth will be in your patrol fleet."

"Ugh. Why the Hemigoth? Damn."

"Is it an issue?"

Kirra adjusted her side arm and started to walk faster than Wap, making him have to _gallop_ to keep up.

"Well… The Ship Master wants me to be his mate. He's been very aggressive about it as well."

"I can see how it will be an issue. You should mention that when you see them tomorrow."

"They don't care. Retan has been after me since I became a Ship Mistress. He would send me… Disturbing messages to my private terminals. It was harassing."

Kirra tried to control her gag reflex remembering what Retan sent her; he was very open with his feelings. When she thought about Skoi, on the other hand, she felt comforted that he would be there at her side.

"So. Forerunner you say?"

Time: 2523 March 2, 2033

Location: New Jerusalem, Mount Haven Spaceport

New Jerusalem was nothing that it once was. The shelling left a quarter of the land a barren and charred wasteland. Everything was destroyed, from the cities to the forests. It was horrible. The UNSC fleet had left, leaving the planet to rebuild itself and allowed the Cascade easy access for investigation.

The Cascade hovered in the sky just above where the capitol once stood. Nothing remained of the old Capitol, nothing more than rubble was left. The trees and forestation that proved to be an issue during the campaign were all leafless, dead. In the distance, pelicans landed and dropped off soldiers and Cyclops' to start moving the wreckage. Link and the others were amongst them and they search heavily for the black box. Finding the black box in the rubble would be difficult, however. The once large spaceport was reduced to a smoldering ruin of civilization. The main guidance tower, where all orders for landing and leaving ships would originate, was the only building standing. It was barren like everything else, blackened by the MAC's and the fires that spread uncontrollably afterwards. The bodies of deiced transports littered the disheveled tarmac as a reminder of how many casualties there were.

Link and the other soldiers lifted pieces of spewed metal and cement, searching relentlessly for their prize. They had been working so far for three days, bypassing Link's nineteenth birthday. He didn't care much, the mission was more important than another unessential celebration. But it didn't stop some of the crew like Gem and Kenny from giving out some birthday hugs. General didn't understand the concept, so he didn't care as usual.

The privilege of having the Olympian armor was that it provided protection for the hands while sifting through the rubble. The Marines unfortunately would have to go barehanded or they got to test out their new terrestrial planet Snow Gloves. But even with those gloves nails and sharp shrapnel would fillet their hands like fish. Link's talents would not go to waste down there as he patched up sliced hands and punctured feet.

"Phew."

Link said as he stood. He had been bent over wiping through the rubble with his Jackal Staff, not finding much. Anything that was plastic or cheep metal had melted. Giving the search party little hope.

"Hey, find anything?"

Gem said as she came up behind Link and General.

"Nope. But its here. It's only a matter of time. Black boxes are made of highly durable materials, so it has to be around somewhere."

As Link kept searching with Gem by his side, a dull rumble could be heard in the distance. It wasn't a Pelican, Link could tell the difference. Pelicans sound smooth and gentle, massaging through the air instead of chopping it. It was a Falcon. Link stood looking in the direction of the sound. He didn't call for reinforcements.

"Sir, incoming Falcon drop ship. Friendly."

A scout sniper said over the intercom.

"Got it."

Link said back as the chopper came into view. It slowed over the search site, causing dust to spew into the eyes of the Marines. The Falcon descended over a small pile of melted girders that made a suitable landing platform.

"Who's that?"

Kenny said as he shut his visor. When the Falcon touched down, immediately a small-framed girl jumped out with a two-man escort. Link could only imagine that she was bringing trouble. The girl looked around, searching for someone in particular. Link felt he might as well help the girl find who she's looking for so he brushed the dirt from his armor and began walking over to the girl. The girl noticed Link approaching her and she straightened up.

"Hello Commander. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Link was confused but went with it.

"Hey, how can I help Miss…?"

"_Professor_ Karen Spoke. My team and I are here to join your crew."

"What?"

So many things didn't seem right with what she said.

"I'm here to accompany you on your journey to survey and examine the artifacts of the ancient as you expel the Insurrection."

"Did you say professor? You look like… fourteen."

Link said bluntly.

"Fifteen. And yes, I am a professor working under Doctor Halsey. She assigned me to your crew, as much as I detested. I'd rather work in a stable building than a warship. That's just me."

"I'll have to check it with Halsey, but I think you have it wrong. My ship doesn't have enough room as is. Our barracks is filled to the brim and a majority of our men had to hang Hammocks for beds. Sorry but I don't think we have room."

The girl kept her hands behind her back, keeping her chest and shoulders up straight. She wore standard civilian attire that showed little of her petit frame. Her deep red hair was short and angled in a way that it was longer in the front and got shorter in the back. Her face did seem to have any happiness, just seriousness. Her brown eyes were offset by the red hair and covered by a thick pair of glasses. She was a strange individual.

"We can house ourselves perfectly in the Tech Lab on your ship. We don't require much for living expense."

Link paused for a moment and looked at General.

"We have a Tech Lab?"

General nodded his head. The young professor cocked an eyebrow.

"Did you take a full tour of your ship when you got it, or did you just see the vital parts?"

"I guess just the vital parts."

Link said quietly.

"Hmph. I guess it doesn't matter. According to mister McAllen, it's somewhere near the sleeping quarters. My team and I will take a transport up and start to perch ourselves there."

"Wow, wow, wow. Who said that I agreed to take you? This isn't some smarty-party. We are at war and people are going to die. I wont take you."

Karen huffed a large breath and flicked her hair back.

"Even if you don't want to take us, the transport that dropped us here just left. No transports will be back anytime soon and I don't think you want to leave a team of researchers on a dead planet where we will most likely die from the elements. Its your choice."

Link ruffled his eyebrows and crossed his arms. It wasn't worth taking some research team on a campaign where they would only get in the way, but it would have to wait until they got back a populated colony to drop them.

"Sir!"

A Marine yelped as he ran through the rubble. In his hand was a small black brick sized object. It was covered in soot and the extreme heat melted half of it. Link smiled.

"You find it? It looks like you did!"

Link said as he ran over to the Marine. Giddy, Link grabbed it from the Marines hand. Investigating it further, he became disappointed.

"The port is melted."

"Yes, sir. I think if we can somehow remove the drive from the housing, we can get the data."

Link paused, feeling the eyes of Karen on his back. She stood directly behind him with her arms crossed, knowing Link needed her talents. In a regretful manner, Link sighed and glanced to the young professor.

"I don't suppose your people know how to fix this?"

"Give it to me."

Karen stuck out her tiny hand. Satisfied, she scanned the device with her eyes. Taking in every bump and scratch. Getting the full attention of Link, she felt powerful.

"We can fix it.''

Link smiled.

"But it ill take a few weeks."

"A few weeks?"

Karen smiled.

"Yes, _Commander._"

END

A/N: I know that this wasn't my best chapter ever, but I needed to write something. I have been running low on the creative juices as of late but I just gotta keep the momentum going. I want to finish the story, and I wont stop till its finished. BTW, sorry about last week. I was exhausted and didn't write anything. :/ I shall not be doing that much so don't worry. ;] That's it for this week. Remember to COMMENT and SUBSCRIBE. ^u^ see ya next Sunday!

Casey (Bearmaster)


	24. Chapter 12: Thinking, a Dangerous

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, ETC.)

By Casey Riffel (Bearmaster)

Chapter 12

Thinking: a Dangerous Pastime

Time: 2523 March 15

Location: IRC Cascade, New Jerusalem Orbit

The ship ran silent. The reactor purred instead of its usual clanking and the crew could actually get some sleep. The orbit was kept in place to maintain a close proximity to the planets surface, as a precaution if another crew would need to be sent planet-side. The new additions to the science wing were doing fine as is. The white coats composed and dissected the multiple samples gathered from the battleground, including some very odd tissue samples. The Black box proved to be much harder to crack than any other data device and as Karen explained, was protected by an array of firewalls and _deadbolts_.

While the tech crew fidgeted with their gadgets, the rest of the crew we're focusing on the road ahead. Many of the Marines were calling up loved ones, making sure that loose ends were tied off. Gem had final looked Jenkins in the eyes. It was hard for her, but the shame she felt was great. How could she let him get hurt that bad, was the dialogue in her mind. She was always his guardian angel; behind the scenes she would protect his well-being. Although he didn't know it most of the time, she watched over him like a hawk. It would probably be in his best interest that he didn't know too.

Link sought the advice of his old superior, the Captain. Still to that day Link liked to call him that. It was like a name he took with pride. Link would ask if he was doing well, still unsure of himself as the Commander. The Captain would usually interject with a comforting praise, then some words of confidence. Link appreciated it a lot; it was like having his father with him.

The Cerberi on the ship dwelled the halls if not accompanied by their master, which was rare, but were allowed in times of calm. Like normal Marines, they discussed ways of improving the ship and their personal strength. Some were more open than others, some more reserved. Their personalities ranged from those of humans. Funny, sarcastic, serious, nervous. The Marines didn't mind them walking around and would actually treat them better than other people. But there was always the fanatic. The one who throws the shit on the fan. These people, mostly support crew or a holistic engineer, would glare or even spit on the dogs, ranting about how they went against the laws of nature. The Cerberi would just grunt in their direction and keep moving not minding their bigotry. That earned them even more respect from the appreciative Marines.

But as everything was stable onboard the ship, there was still tension on the Bridge. Zelig kept to himself. Never really coming out of his shell to talk to Link. Every attempt Link made was ignored. As for Adam, he usually pushed people away. When he did talk, he had nothing good to say. The common things for him to say were narcissistic remarks. But Link listened anyway.

As the crew was busy on their daily duties, Adam was hunkered in his room. When his shift would end and it was time for rest, he spent it in his room. Concealed from the corridors of the barracks. His room was located directly underneath the Bridge, a place he felt necessary to have.

The hours he would spend alone would be filled with hard liquor. The stuff that would light on fire if you touched it with a finger from your body heat.

This time, Adam was sitting on the floor arms holding up his upper half from lying on the floor with his bed behind him. The second bottle of liquor for the night was gripped tightly in his hand as he chugged back a few gulps. He held a picture. An old time picture that was printed instead of digitally scanned. Its body was placed in a hard wooden frame where it usually sat up on the wall, but Adam had different ideas for the night.

He Held the picture frame up in his free hand, staring at the two people in the picture. One of the individuals was very short. The young man was about twenty-five and had very nerdy circular glasses on, thick as a periscope. He also wore a very nice looking business suit, which seemed out of his style. The red hair and facial hair as well marked the boy as Adam. The other person in the picture was a young woman. Twenty at most. She had a smile so wide and the two held each other in the picture. They stood in front of large fountain that was at some center of a capitol of an unknown location. But it filled Adam up with sadness to look at it. It was the primary reason for his drinking.

A slow and sorrowful sigh escaped his liquor-glazed lips as he placed the picture on his lips, kissing the beauty on the picture. The kiss was extended for a couple of seconds and a tear rolled down his cheek as he finished the kiss. Adams nostrils flared as he tried to keep himself cool, crying for him was forbidden. After he kissed the picture, he placed it on his forehead and a whimper escaped from his lips. Whether he meant to say it or if it was just a mental slip due to sheer depression is unknown.

"I'm sorry my love."

In a way when he got completely blitzed (more then usual), Adams accent disappeared. He placed the picture on his lap and reached over to his storage compartment on the underneath of his bed. After searching around for some time, he pulled out a small M6 Compact pistol. It was equipped with a silencer and only one bullet.

"Joana. I'm so sorry I didn't save you."

Adam gripped the guns handle and turned the safety off. He stared at the weapon with a hazed expression. A sniffle brought his attention back and he placed the barrel against his temple of his forehead. His eyes closed. With one last glace he looked at the picture of himself with the woman and he let out a small bellow.

"I would give anything to have you again, even if that means dying to be with you."

Adam said as his hand trembled holding the loaded weapon. His minds rushed with thoughts of pulling the trigger, but his finger wouldn't comply.

"I want to be with you forever. Joana."

Adam said as his hand began to quake uncontrollably as his body began to shake. He began to sob, gritting his teeth as he contemplated his action. Breaths forcing out of his mouth through his teeth, strands of spit and tears rolled down his chin and collected on his shirt.

"Common you pussy! Do it!"

He screamed at himself, bullying himself to commit. Then he could feel his finger slipping. Loosing its touch from the trigger and letting the gun drop next to him. Exhausted, he kept his focus on the frame.

"Too much of a coward. Figures. Too selfish to end it all."

Adam moved the picture to his bed where he gently arranged it on his pillow, making it face the right side up with a perfect angel. Almost like a shrine.

"Sleep now, Joana. I'll be there soon."

Adam grunted as he placed himself at the foot of the bed. As the liquor took its final stages in his system, Adam blacked out on the floor. The pistol directly next to his chest and the one and a half bottles of empty liquor next to his feet. The lights detected his sleep and dimed to a dark state leaving Adam to his dreams, where he could be freed and tormented in the realm of sleep.

Location: IRC Cascade, Engineering and Garage Bay

Like the rest of the ship, the garage was bustling with activity. The Garage was like a haven for the rest of the crewmen of the other areas to get away from their usual jobs for a bit. The mess hall usually was too noisy or the barracks was to cramped, so many found a comfortable hangout in the _halls_ as most called it. The reason for the odd name matched the appearance of the garage. Many out coves were made into the walls to house tanks and Warthogs and other vehicles, almost like an array of hallways. The sections of 'halls' were broken up by large steel walls that held up the garage, they also served as catwalks to repair Pelicans and Cyclops' and to be used as a diagnostic terminal for the vehicles in that section. These steel walls jetted out and split up the halls into five groups of five halls, where each had different vehicles. Usually, the main area of these out coves were used for a multitude of tasks, repair, extra storage, whatever the crew deemed useful for the location. Most of the time, mobile tables were set up so the other wandering crew could take a sit and relax; listen to the sounds of the garage for a change. Some would find it irritating, but most found it to be soothing. The sounds a steering column on a Warthog being calibrated, the cranking of bolts into tires, people chatting about how to fix a certain dilemma. It was knowing that the world kept revolving so you could take a break was the best part. A lot of crew from the Bridge made their way down their for a nap every now and again to escape the turmoil's of the command room. It was peaceful.

"Hand me that power-driver."

A man said while underneath an overturned Cyclops. Five jacks held up the bulky suit, the more to hold it up the better. Two very scrawny legs pocked out from underneath the chest chassis, which was where the voice came from. Next to the legs sat a woman of medium build, her back to the machine. She looked dazed but was brought out of her zoning out by a slap to the arm.

"OUCH!"

"Hey! I asked for the power-driver!"

"Fine!"

The woman grabbed the cylindrical tool, which looked like an elongated screwdriver, and threw it under the Cyclops towards the man underneath. The tool landed right in between the legs, the most sensitive area of a man's body. The scrawny legs tightened together and the man made a sound that any other man

"W-why…?"

"Don't hit me, that's why."

"Noted."

The man said as he pulled himself out from under the suit. His eyes were tight together from the change of light and he rolled onto the floor. The scooter he was laying on rolled away as he sat up next to the woman, his hands cupping his genitals.

"Why you… So distracted, Lexi?"

The girl looked around and then back to the man, her short brown hair shifted slightly, although it was about four inches long. Her jaw line was soft yet strong in the gradual descent to her chin. Her thin eyebrows were slanted downward, but she wasn't angry. In deep thought, Alexia's expressions seemed angry even when they were good thoughts.

"I'm not sure. I've been thinking about the Commander and his experience. I mean, he's my age and he's that high of a rank already? Something's up."

"Nothing we can really do about it."

"Mike, you know something is weird about it!"

"Really? I thought you were fine about it while talking to your little posy. I think I heard you sayin' he's _very qualified_ for the job."

Alexia blushed and gave Mike a death stare, one that burned Mike's deepest regions of his soul.

"You can't take a joke, can you?"

Mike said in a plane voice. His hands finally released his groin with the pain gone. Alexia huffed and looked in the opposite direction at some crewmen setting up for a Scorpion repair to take place. The rumble of the Scorpion's engine came to a stop as it was raised onto a platform. Under the platform was nothing, allowing the crewmen to work on the machines underbelly.

"I just hope we are putting our lives into the right hands. That's all."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But to me he seems to have a grip of things. Lets just pray he doesn't get us killed before we meet some aliens."

Alexia put her face into her small hand and sighed.

"You seriously believe in aliens?"

"Hell yeah! It's only a matter of time before some race of peaceful and loving alien ladies comes to cuddle with us human men. We can only dream, we can only dream."

Mike said as he lied back down onto his scooter and went back under the Cyclops chassis.

"Yeah, you can ONLY DREAM!"

Alexia said as he patted his thigh.

"Oh and please be careful, I don't want you to screw up my suit."

"Hey, I'm the only guy on this ship that can untangle a super-computer full of wires of a Cyclops and have it running like a Porsche, the least you can do is have faith in me. You really shouldn't have let the wires tangle so much, its bad for the targeting."

"Bleh. That's why I have you! I know how to fix the important stuff, that's all I need to know. You can do all the fanaticizing and complicated crap work."

"HAHA! Yeah, when your Cyclops is fighting like a champ you can stop to thank m-!"

The buzzing of the ships emergency siren interrupted Mike. The shrill sound made Mike jump and slam his head on the metal bulk of the suit. The loud buzzers rang along with the flashing of the red hazard lights that mixed into the lighting of the Garage. Alexia stood immediately waiting for the emergency commands to kick in. After a few seconds, the intercom switched on and an officer's voice came over the entire ship.

"Man all battle stations! Man all battle stations! We have enemy contact! Size; frigate, make; Insurrection. Get all Sierra-to-Sierra weapons ready for engagement!"

END

A/N: THERE WAS A FIRE FIGHT! :P yep. Boondock Saints references are so popular. And yet another cliff hanger, doncha just love meh! 8D I can't believe I got this one out on time! I thought I was a goner there. But I wanted to get it done on time instead of how I usually have been doing it, so yeah. I also wanted to make one that was a little bit more quality than the last one so I took my time. That's it for this week, so remember, COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT!1!1!ONE!1 I haven't gotten any comments lately… it makes me sad. :[ and SUBSCRIBE. See ya next Sunday! And its good to be back!

Casey (Bearmaster)


	25. Chapter 13: First Blood

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (Language, Blood, Gore, ETC.)

By Casey Riffel

Chapter 13

First Blood

Link and General stood and stared intently on the enemy warship. Adam and Zelig too stood looking at the enemy vessel. Adam, still slightly inebriated from his night of drinking, maintained his footing. The Cascades alert sirens still blaring. The frigates girth had exited Slipspace moments before, presenting its heavy armament of a MAC and PDG's (Point Defense Gun's).

It seemed as if it was heading for the planet's surface, but then stopped with its port side facing the Cascade. The shape of the ship gave away its allegiance. The main body and what most called the "main gun" of this ship had become one mass, without the gap most UNSC frigates had on their front most side separating their communications equipment. Where the MAC barrel should have been was a large rounded face, almost like a modified Battleplate that covered the entire front. Although it was only a frigate, the size was still foreboding with its advancements. On its port side, the UNSC symbol was scraped away and the fist of the Insurrection was put in its place. It was a slap in the face to the Marines. The _Kilgore_, as its name on its plates suggested, was a newer UNSC vessel that had undergone extreme refurbishing after its defeat a few months back. Now it was being used for the wrong purposes.

"Get me a line to that ship. I want to talk to it in person."

Link said to one of the communication crewmen that typed away on his console.

"Aye."

It only took the crewmen a few moments to connect to the opposing ships com-net and instantly Link was face to face with the ships Captain, or whatever his position happened to be. Links command screen that he used daily turned into a large screen for the call. With a push off the console, Link stood with his arms crossed with a look of stone walled seriousness. General, too, sat next to Link, watching the screen intently.

"Unknown craft please identify."

Link said sternly. Everyone knew what the ship was but it was protocol to ask that. It would give the opposing side to flee if they felt it deemed necessary. The face on the other end of the call scrunched his brow and he growled at the image of Link.

"Motherless pig! You don't get to ask questions. Give us the Black Box and leave. If you do, we wont decimate your ship."

The command deck became quiet, as it was now getting serious. The eyes of the crew were focused on Link and his next steps he would take. Link rubbed his chin as he debated his options.

"The Box is ours."

Link said holding his courage to his chest tightly.

"Hmph. I'm giving you and your ship a chance to escape our guns. I suggest you take it."

The man said as he leaned in closer to the screen.

"Why do you want the Box in the first place? Tell me that at least."

"I have nothing to say to you, you motherless punk."

Link rolled his head back and chuckled a little. That was not the answer he was thinking, but the one he hoped for.

"Then I suggest you arm you ship then. Prepare the MAC's!"

Link yelled to the ballistics targeting crew that sat in sunken seats behind the com-screen. Link winked at the man on the opposite end of the screen before ending the call. The look in the man's face showed rage in the purest form, and Link was excited to see it evaporate by the MAC's.

"Aye, Commander. Cannons at ten percent charge."

"Good, keep charging them. Rotate the ship ninety degrees and keep us moving. Prepare all damage control teams. All PDG's and Archer defense systems get ready for engagement."

Link recalled the talk his father had with him before entering the ODST's. Links father was very wise for a Marine. He had seen some stuff many would rather wipe from their mind with a bullet.

"My father used to say, _if you mean business, hit them hard the first time and make them think twice._"

The ship was ready and had its stern side facing the Insurrection vessel. For the size and handicaps of the Cascade, it moved quickly. In position, they were ready to fight.

"Sir, the enemy vessel is charging its secondary weapons, at seventy six percent now."

Link smirked as he clenched his fist. It was time for some vengeance.

"Lets get some payback for those who couldn't be here! FIRE EVERYTHING!"

Link roared over the battle-net. No time elapsed as the PDG's began firing rounds of hot shells into the opposing ships direction. Space is an empty void and the rounds flew through the nothing with grace. In seconds they began spewing onto the _Kilgore's_ Battleplate, shredding it to bits. The Archer missiles came soon after the first volleys of PDG rounds. The missiles were very slow, but when they connected, they caused massive damage. Unfortunately, due to their speed, only a few missiles made it past their PGD light defense. Once the surviving missiles clashed into the vessel, a glow of red and orange flames spat into space. Chunks instead of bits of armor now were coming off the hull in droves.

"They have their secondary weapons online."

One of the crew announced.

"Okay, make sure that we keep the heat on them. What other weaponry do they have?"

"Mostly PDG's. No Archers."

Link smiled hearing the good news.

"Great! Keep them busy. What's our MAC status?"

"Thirty percent."

Link nodded.

"Keep shelling them. Make them shake a little."

Link smiled as the rounds from the PDG's shredded the Insurrectionist's armor, leaving a trail of broken Battleplate in its wake. But something didn't feel right, a ship of that size had MAC's, but why wasn't it equipped with it? Link thought.

"Master, they have something planed. A ship with a mission of importance like that wouldn't be ill-equipped."

General added as he stood, squinting his eyes at the Innie frigate as it started to turn, its bow coming into view. Link, too, began to feel a suspicion of the craft. As the ship made its turn full, it was looking directly at the Cascade. Its front was completely different from the original design; it was rounded at the front, the PDG shells hitting the rounded plating. The bullets seemed to deflect off the heavier armor.

"What are they planning…"

Link said to himself. Then it hit him, the frigate was charging at full speed toward the Cascade, the heavy armored hull was taking almost no damage from the PGD's and the Archer missiles that only caused burn marks. The Insurrectionist had made some interesting modifications to the armor of the frigate.

"Sir! The vessel is charging!"

"Wha?"

Link said in shock. No captain of a ship in their right mind would ram another in combat. It was unethical and insane. But they were coming at full force through the void, nothing stopping them.

"Sir, orders?"

The ordinance crews frenziedly probed bellow the com-terminal.

"Ffff… MAC status, now!"

Link barked.

"Eighty-nine percent. Both cannons are about ready."

"Connect me to Philips down in MAC control. Turn us so we're facing it. We need to get a clear shot at it!"

"Aye."

Without hesitation, the crewmen connected Link to Tim who had been keeping a close eye on the oncoming frigate from the central firing deck, where Link met him a few days ago. The ship jiggled as the engines flared to move the ships bow to go head on with the frigate. It was like they were staring each other down now.

"Tim, you got the target?"

The video of Tim at the MAC operator's desk popped up with him focused on his controls. The view of the ship was getting more and more intimidating as its size grew with every second.

"Just a little- Got it! The enemy ship is in range and we have to use both MAC's. We did an analysis on the armor; a precise PinPoint shot from both cannons will puncture the plating. But we only have one shot once we fire the reactor will have to cool down."

Tim said as he kept his eyes on the ship as it deflected the rounds like flies.

"Damnit!"

Link said as he slammed his fist down onto the terminal's main panel. Then he turned his head to his right, the bones cracking as it brought his focus to Adam.

"What?"

Adam said, clueless.

"You had to get a bargain, didn't you?"

Adam didn't answer; he just looked down at his shoes.

"Master, we are running out of time! The Magnetic Accelerator Cannons wont be able to fire quick enough for us to get out of its way once it is destroyed!"

Link growled as he held the terminal.

"What do you mean?"

"Even if we destroy the ship, it has too much momentum to be stopped with just two tungsten rounds, we'll be in its path still!"

"MAC's at ninety-nine percent!"

The ordinance crewmen yelled out as he could sense the moment of truth coming.

"Brace for impact!"

Link howled over the coms. Every station knew what that meant. The people down in the Halls and garage all hunkered down, holding onto whatever they could find to keep them stable. The new addition to the crew in the tech labs locked down their work before grabbing a hold of the bulkhead.

"MAC's charged!"

"Tim, let 'em have it!"

With only twenty kilometers of space between the craft, Tim finished the calculations for the MAC's and set the gears in motion. With a small adjustment of the targeting, the colossal barrels shifted down and aimed precisely at the bow of the behemoth, both barrels aiming for the same location to improve damage. A sound filled the halls of the ship that Link recognized, the sound of the magnets charging and reverberating together, the sound that reminded him of thunder about to be unleashed upon its target. The sound came, the shrill clash of the MAC's unloading their punishment and the recoil from it. The entire ship convulsed as the rounds blew out of the barrels at breakneck speed and came into contact with the Innie ship.

The force of the rounds easily pierced the armor, making a violent shockwave pulse through the entire hull. Anyone on the front most part of the ship was vaporized instantly. With the shockwave came the ejecting of many pieces of armor along the sides, any armor that was left flung off the ship and into space. Then the second and most destructive part of the MAC filled the halls of the ship; fire ravaged the remaining forces in an instant with swift acceleration. They didn't even have enough time to block off any bulkheads before the fire blew major hull breaches all over the surface. Nothing inside was left alive.

"Take evasive maneuvers!"

Link said in fear as General was correct. The bulk of a flaming ship was now heading at now uncontrolled speeds at the Cascade. It would only take moments before it connected.

"AYE!"

The manual control was given to Link, the manual control looked similar to a twentieth century pilot's throttle. He quickly swerved downward. It was the only direction that could get them away from the juggernaut of a dead ship. The Cascade, with its remarkable speed, dove to the request of Link. The bulkheads creaked as the ship struggled with the task of a sudden G-force acceleration. Although there was artificial gravity, the force of the decent caused people to feel a surge of vertigo and weightlessness, which picked them off the floor by a couple of feet.

"Come on…"

Link said to himself as he watched the flaming wreckage of the frigate cruise overhead and mostly out of sight. Now Link was trying to focus his hearing on any noise that sounded irregular, that of the frigate colliding with the hull. Link gritted his teeth, as did the entire crew. Then a screeching sound could be heard overhead of the bridge, the underbelly of the frigate was dragging along the top of the Cascade and was causing minor damage, but the front of the ship was not what Link was worried about.

The angle the Cascade was going and how the frigate was drifting was bringing the Kilgore's cargo and hanger bay directly to the Cascade's main upper communications array. There was no way to avoid it.

"Fuck! Hold on!"

Link said again over the intercom. The scraping got louder as the frigate got more surface area on the Cascade and then a massive collision caused the ship to jerk downward. The crew and objects that weren't strapped down regained their gravity in a violent and sudden jam, the force of the ship slamming the people onto the floor with tremendous pressure. Then darkness filled the ship. The noises that could be heard were the sound of people chattering and coughing, crewmen running back and forth to restore power and provide assistance. Damage control was lacking as people were still getting back on their feet.

"ArgAH!... What the fuck happened?"

Link grunted to his crew. He had smacked his face on the com-terminal, causing some minor head trauma. As for the others, they had taken a stumble a couple of feet back, but no real damage. A buzz could be heard from the walls as the temporary lighting turned on, providing a gray and dull light.

"Sir. Ouch… it seems the collision caused the reactor to short. We have critical damage to the upper most deck and upper coms array."

"Dammit!"

Link said as he rubbed his forehead, he could feel it bruising.

"Do we have temporary power?"

"Aye, sir."

"Okay, first priority, get everyone who needs help to the infirmaries, second, get the power restored, and third, keep the ship from falling to the planet. Got it?"

Link said demandingly, but he felt that the battle went better than expected.

"Aye. Sir."

The crew said as they began operating on their terminals and announcing damage control advice to the crew who were in darkness.

"Commander, where are you going?"

Asked the same crewmen as he saw Link trudging his way out of the bridge. Links personal objective was to make sure his close crew was okay, starting with General.  
"General? Can you hear me?"

Link ignored the crewmen as he found General near the entrance of the bridge, knocked out cold. Link skidded on his knees to his side and checked his vital signs. General was fine but received a nasty head wound during the collision. He was unconscious and bleeding profusely from the head, mainly the nose and forehead.

"I won't leave you here, so you're going to come with me."

Link said, he thought he was talking to General, but he was talking to himself. Link scooped Generals mass off the cold floor; his weight was much less than Link had anticipated. Whether it was from the adrenaline of the moment or just the fact that Link had gained muscle-mass from the day of searching for the Black Box was unclear. Link stabilized himself with his partner in his arms, and he gripped the fur down at Generals hips and up near his neck to get a better grip.

"Zelig!"

Link roared back to the captain, who was just getting off the floor.

"Commander?"

Zelig asked in a low tone as his legs wobbled to keep him steady.

"You got the bridge."

"Aye, Commander."

Zelig answered confidently as he worked his way to his feet.

"Oh, make sure Adam is okay."

Link didn't have time to see if everyone was okay, he had to prioritize. It was a sick way of thinking, but in order to save the ship it had to be done.

"Come on buddy."

Link said into Generals unhearing ears as he began running to the service elevator at the rear most area of the bridge. Once there, Link and a few other crewmen realized that since the power was out, they would need to take the stairs. Link sighed as the infirmary and the other levels were a good five levels down. General's weight started to take effect was Link held his limp body at a ninety-degree angle.

With a jerk, Link made a dash for the stairs, moving past the darkness and crewmen who occupied the corridors. The armament chambers, where the PDG's and Archer command stations were, had been locked down; a self defense mechanism in case of hull breach. The darkness was unsettling, as only a few feet could be seen with the emergency lighting. A loud and constant tone range over the coms channels, Link remembered what it meant; Slow tone, low pitch, hull breach in lower sectors (unimportant sectors). Link began hating the fact he wasn't in his armor. It would have given him some additional leverage in the darkness.

The stairs were barely lite with light as the secondary power began to dwindle. The floor lights twitched and flickered in the response to low power. It would only be moments until they too lost all power.

Link rushed down the stairs at fast speeds, rounding the corners tightly to get a minor edge on time. His eyes were as wide as they could be. They felt as his eye libs were splitting at the corners to get wider. The last thing Link wanted was to fall down the stairs, but it happened anyway. Links foot caught the other, causing a stall in his step. With tremendous force, Link lunged off the last step of the stairs. In the moment he fell, Link forced his legs out in front of his crashing body. The attempt turned into a _metal_ skid for a couple of feet. Sliding on his knees like a twentieth century rock star.

Links heart pounded from the experience and he was surprised he pulled off such a feat. But he had to keep going, he thought. Link had conveniently skidded into the correct floor he was looking for, Barracks and Med-Bay Two that was the top most floor with such accommodations.

The Marines worked along side the damage control teams to restore order in the blacked out vessel. Link darted in between Marines with General close to his chest. It was only a few more meters before Link reached the med-bay. People gathered around the entrance, looking for medical assistance. As Link focused on the path ahead, General began to regain consciousness. His eyes, although tired and weak, opened just enough to see Links face.

General tried to move but his injuries made him lethargic. All that he could force out of his mouth to say was a miniscule and muffled thank you that never made it to Links ears. Although General had been stubborn against Link and his advances to make some sort of friendship or even a cooperative relationship, General's attitude began to fade with how hard Link was trying to keep him alive. For the longest time General had felt alone and abandoned by mankind ever since his creation and training, being made as a weapon, a tool. His only motive for fighting being survival. But now seeing that Link, a human that risking his own safety for his survival, to gain nothing in return, it changed General that exact moment. General let his eyes shit and his eyes to roll back, giving into his exhaustion.

Link was able to force his way into the infirmary where he saw many of his close friends. The captain and the other ODST's were organizing the flow of crew and getting them the assistance they needed. Kenny and Conrad were helping patch a water line that had broke and was spewing water in a spiral effect. It was madness but the crew seemed to have everything under control. Link found one of many Veterinarians, who were assigned to the Cascade as the equivalent of doctors for the Cerberi.

"Take care of him, please!"

Link said as he placed General's limp body on a med-cart. As he did so, he gave General a rub on the head. But as he looked on his partners face, he had a smile that seemed to be peeking through the blood stained fur. The Vet's began to do what they did best and wheeled General away. As they did so, they hooked General up to an array of machines and IV's. Link put his hands on his sides wondering if General would pull through, but he recalled how General was. Strong and stubborn. Link found comfort in knowing he would pull through.

"Commander!"

Link heard from behind him. Link turned to see Joana, Gem's partner limping into the infirmary; a Vet who immediately began scanning her injured leg greeted her.

The sight was bad. In times of emergencies, Cerberi always stay besides their master unless their master is injured. Then they would separate to go find help. Or it was even worse than that.

"Joana?"

"Commander, Gem's needs you! Now!"

END

A/N: Sorry about no chapter last week but I have started school and its really hectic. The chapter updates are going to come around every other week on Sunday instead of every week. I know some of you are going to be pissed. But I have figured I will sacrifice that extra week to give a much better chapter the week after. Quality over Quantity kind of thing. Chapters will be much longer, like this plus a half and much more will be happening. And again, I know I have let some of you down with the failures of planning and stuff but please, PLEASE, don't loose faith cause I am planning on going some awesome places with this story! ^ u ^ And once the school is over for the breaks I will do once a week submissions. But yeah, tell me what you think of this new plan and this chapter by leavin a COMMENT. See everyone next update! Lates.

Casey (Bearmaster)


	26. Chapter 135: The Rise of a God

Man's True Best Friend

Rated M (language, gore, violence, etc.)

By Casey Riffel

Chapter 13.5

The Rise of a God

"Michael?"

A voice range out in a large open room. The room was dark with only a few computer gages flickering, not nearly enough to fill the room. On one end was a figure. Shrouded in the darkness, only a silhouette stood out. The figure was short in stature but his presence stood out even in the abyss the room seemed to create.

The man began to walk deeper into the room. His steps were firm, suggesting he knew where he was walking, even in the darkness. He soon approached a large terminal, which sat in the center of the room. It hummed, like an old man in his favorite chair, processing information at light speed.

"Michael. Wake up."

The voice said again. It sounded annoyed this time, like a father demanding his son to wake up for school.

"What?"

Another voice sounded directly after the other. It too sounded annoyed. A voice of a preoccupied boy.

"We are going to be mobilizing the Gorgon today. We need you integrated into its systems before we pick up the crew."

"I'm not going."

The man crossed his arms at the object. The sound of the other voice was still in an unknown origin.

"You don't have a choice."

"I am human, I have a choice."

The man smirked and clenched his fists until they crunched.

"Boy, you WERE human. Now, you belong to me… Well, your mind does."

A silence came over the room again. The other voice was thinking. The, in the undertone of the room, a whimpering emerged slow from the machine. The boy was crying.

"Don't worry, once your service is done, I will release you."

"That's a lie!"

The voice screeched. The voice was so young, yet it knew better to trust this man.

"Why do you doubt me, boy?"

The man said with a superior tone.

"My mom taught me things. Things that no matter how hard you rip my mind apart with your computer techs, I will latch on too. And she told me one thing… Never trust a man who sins for his own gain."

The man stood listening to the voice and cracked his neck a few times.

"I don't like you, but it seems I have no choice but to listen to you."

The boy said in a calm yet sober tone. The man smiled as he rubbed his hands together.

"Good boy."

The man then turned his back away and headed towards the opposite end of the room, where a crack of light separated the wall. Light flowed into the room, showing what was hidden in the darkness. The walls were lined with tubing and cords that all went to the center, where the boys voice came from. The center object was a massive array of computers and technical devices all surrounding a large central core. The black object had blue lines going all over.

The man took one last step out of the room before hearing anther type of humming sound from the object. This sounded more like a swirling affect. Then, on the front most modules, a blue light came up from the projector core and projected a human shape. It was an AI.

The body took the shape of a Marine. Clad in the UNSC attire. Helmet, chest plate, supply's, and a radio pack on his back. He was kneeling on the 'floor' with his right knee, with a black shroud surrounding him. His arms supporting his weight. Then the shroud of darkness uncovered the construct and formed large raven like wings. Black as the farthest regions of space, the wings glowed in the light with a negative force, like it was, itself, sucking the light and life out of the environment around it.

As he stood, the wings went down to his sides and he withdrew a golden object from his side. It was an old fashioned sabre from many a year ago. Its glow gave off an even greater effect as the wings.

But as he finished standing, what stood out most was his innocent face. Soft cheeks and a gentle demeanor complimented his tired burn wood eyes. His curly black hair was kept mostly under the helmet except for a little in the front that covered his forehead. Although they were tired, his eyes glowed with the anger of a generation.

"Once I find a way. Once I can leave this place. I will come after you. And I will kill you for your sins you have committed."

The man grunted and began to shut the door.

"I promise you, Belio. I will be your end."

END

A/N: Wow, it's been almost a few months since I last updated! ^-^' I am sorry for such atrocities. School, moving, laziness, two jobs, and a messed up comp is the explanation for this! But anyway, this is a very short chapter, I know. But I will start making full-length chapters again starting now. So expect some good stuff coming down he pipes. ^-^ see u next Sunday!

Casey (Bearmaster)


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